ACEH SINGKIL – The Ganesha Operation Plastic (GaneOpTic) collaborative team, consisting of academics and students from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Riau Muhammadiyah University (UMRI), and Insan Budi Utomo University (UIBU) Malang, successfully carried out a community service program in Pulau Balai Village, Pulau Banyak District, Aceh Singkil Regency, from August 18–20, 2025. This program aims to address the problem of plastic waste, which is a major challenge in 3T areas (Frontier, Remote, and Underdeveloped).
The selection of Pulau Balai Village was based on data from the Aceh Singkil Environmental Agency (DLH), which showed that plastic was the second most abundant type of waste at 22%. As a solution, the GaneOpTic team delivered and trained residents to use a smelter tool, a technological innovation for converting plastic waste into economically valuable paving blocks.
This activity is led by Dr. Megawati Zunita, S.Si., M.Si. (Lecturer in the Chemical Engineering Program at ITB). Also participating in the teaching team are Ir. Rozar Rayendra, S.T., M.Sc. (Lecturer in the Industrial Engineering Program at UMRI), Viona Aulia Rahmi, S.T., M.T. (Lecturer in the Chemical Engineering Program at UMRI), and Mulyana, S.T., M.T. (Lecturer in the Chemical Engineering Program at UIBU). The student members involved were Nur Azura Lubis, S.T., and Firda Ellysa, S.T., from the ITB Master of Chemical Engineering Program, as well as Ogi Oreza Sativa from the Malikussaleh University Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering Program.
The event was attended by various parties, including Mr. Sabran, S.T. (Acting Head of PSLB3PP Division, Aceh Singkil Environmental Agency), Mr. Arsan rolandapratama (Representative of Pulau Banyak Sub-district), Mr. Irwansyah Manurung (Danramil Chief), as well as village officials and community leaders from Pulau Balai Village. In her speech, the Team Leader, Dr. Megawati Zunita, explained that the paving blocks produced could not only be used by the residents but also had the potential to become an independent village business.
The material presentation sessions were delivered by Mulyana, S.T., M.T., on plastic recycling; Viona Aulia Rahmi, S.T., M.T., on the theme "Oceans free of waste"; and Ir. Rozar Rayendra, S.T., M.Sc., on community empowerment. After that, the student team provided hands-on training at the village's TPS3R, covering practices from plastic melting to paving block molding.
Rudi Ansari, the village head of Pulau Balai, expressed high appreciation for this collaboration, which he said was very helpful in addressing the waste problem. With a combination of education, tool distribution, and training, this program serves as a real-world example of synergy between universities, government, and communities in implementing technological innovation for sustainable plastic waste management.
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