The Doctoral Service Team (DM) collaborated with Malang National Adiwiyata Activists Association through the Real Work Lecture (KKN) program to carry out the Indonesian Donate Waste Movement (GRADASI) activities. GRADASI aims to increase public awareness of the importance of reducing waste through a religious approach as well as educating the public on how to sort according to the type produced.
GRADASI or Indonesian Donate Waste Movement is a program carried out by the government as an effort to deal with the waste problem in Indonesia, especially regarding marine waste which is dominated by inorganic waste.
At first, the GRADASI program was only carried out in mosques with the principle of donating the waste for the common interests and needs of the mosque.
Currently, the GRADASI program has been carried out in four schools in Malang City area from July 2022.
Chief Executive of Doctoral Service Activities, Dr. Riyanti Isaskar, S.P., M.Si explained that schools as a place for building character have the potential to be able to apply GRADASI to form patterns of student behavior that care about the environment from an early age.
This program is guided by one school with the National Adiwiyata predicate, namely State Vocational School 6 Malang, accompanied by 3 schools as pilot projects including SD Negeri Bumiayu 1, Santa Maria Catholic Middle School 1 Malang, and National High School.
The GRADASI program is carried out in three schools once a week with garbage collection at the end of the month.
Transportation is carried out at the end of the month to optimize the total amount of garbage in schools. Meanwhile, the transportation is carried out by the waste bank, but in the future the transportation in each school will cooperate with SMKN 6 Malang and it is expected that it can be carried out every week.
“With the GRADASI program at school, it is hoped that it can help schools improve eco-literacy regarding sorting inorganic waste at school and instill a caring attitude towards others,” said one of the KKN students, Mega Safitri.
To support the GRADASI program so that it continues to be sustainable, the KKN-DM team seeks to optimize building student and school enthusiasm through the submission of “GRADASI BOXES” to schools.
The school and students are very enthusiastic about their commitment to continue implementing the GRADASI program as a venue for Adiwiyata and are very grateful for choosing a school to implement the GRADASI program for the first time in Malang City.
“It is hoped that through this movement, people will become aware that waste can be given as charity and not only has financial value but also has social value because it can become a place for helping others which is packaged through waste sorting and processing,” said Riyanti.
The Doctoral Service Team consists of Dr. Riyanti Isaskar, SP., M.Si., Dr. Arie Srihardyastutie, S.Si., M.Kes; Yusri Fajar, M.A., Destyana Elingga Pratiwi, SP., MP., MBA., and Vi’in Ayu Pertiwi, SP., MP. [Humas UB/ Trans. Iir]