According to data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (2021), households contribute the most national waste, namely 42.23% of the total waste of 21.88 million tons. Household waste, which includes wet (organic) and solid (inorganic) waste, is usually handled differently. Organic waste, such as food waste, will be recycled into compost. Meanwhile, the management of inorganic waste which usually takes a long time to decompose, such as plastic, bottles, paper and cans, is still a matter of debate. Because if it is not processed properly, this waste has the potential to pollute the soil.
Therefore, apart from reducing its use, there are actually other ways that can be done to overcome the problem of organic waste. For example, by creating various useful products. This method has been practiced by several individuals or communities and has succeeded in becoming a profitable business. Anything? Here's an example.
Turning Ceramic Shards Into Decorative Ornaments
The majority of household waste is plastic waste. Starting from concerns about plastic waste which is increasing every day, three young people from Bandung, Sae, Yahya, and Regi, recently started a business making watches made from plastic waste called "Newhun". They conjure up various plastic waste, such as disposable plastic cutlery, plastic bags, soap bottles, shampoo bottles, gallon caps, bottle caps, High Density Polyethylene (PEDH), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Polypropylene (PP) and Polystyrene waste. (PS) becomes watches, table clocks, wall clocks, and so on.
The process of making Newhun products consists of sorting waste, washing, chopping, injection/melting, molding and assembling. Of all these processes, according to Sae, the most difficult stage is the process of sorting and washing the waste. Waste consisting of various types must be separated according to type and color. After that, the waste is washed manually. To dry it, you still rely on sunlight.
One watch requires 150 grams of plastic, while a table clock requires 150 grams of plastic and a wall clock 500 grams of plastic. The market price of Newhun products also tends to vary, depending on the level of difficulty of manufacture. One watch item can be sold for hundreds of thousands to millions of rupiah. Meanwhile, prices for other products range between tens and hundreds of thousands of rupiah.
Sturdy Chairs and Tables from Used Paper
Besides plastic, paper is also the biggest contributor to household waste. Starting from concerns about paper waste that continues to pile up every day, a middle-aged man in Mataram, Theo Setiaji Suteja, has a big dream of establishing the first Paper Art Museum in the world. According to him, when paper waste is processed properly, many trees can be saved.
For months he has been conducting research to find ways to replace paper with wood so that the number of illegal logging can be reduced. He then succeeded in finding the right formula. Using a mix of used paper and a mixture of glue, Theo succeeded in making a substitute for bricks that was even sturdier than most.
Theo's persistence also made several local students join. They have produced hundreds of paper items, such as tables, chairs and various other home furnishings. Everything is done purely by hand without any molding machines. For example, a table requires around 60 kg of paper waste which is then produced manually. All of Theo's products are now on display in a house where the majority of the material is paper, namely The Griya Lombok.
Theo paper products tend to be more fire resistant than those made from wood. However, products made from this paper tend not to withstand conditions that are too humid. Even so, Theo's products have succeeded in attracting many buyers from abroad. The price can reach tens of millions of rupiah.
Turning Ceramic Shards Into Decorative Ornaments
When building a house, sometimes the remaining ceramics used are just thrown away. In fact, the fragments can be used to make various decorations, such as mosaics. This has been done for a long time by mosaic craftsmen from Klaten, Ansori. He glued small pieces of ceramic together to make a beautiful painting.
As a result, his expertise made many people come to order Ansori's work. The mosaics ordered are quite diverse, from images of figures to natural scenes. Ansori's works sell for millions of rupiah depending on the level of complexity of each one.
Well, apart from making mosaics, ceramic shards can also be used to make other crafts, for example waste baskets, flower vases, wall decorations and multi-purpose containers. To make it, you need broken ceramics in various colors, yellow glue, and white mortar or cement. In this case, supporting equipment is needed, such as a hammer, sandpaper, washcloth, cement spoon and used rubber sandals.
It turns out that household waste can be created into various useful products. That way, apart from reducing the pile of waste which is still a challenge to manage, this creation can be an alternative in running a creative business. Interested in trying it?