Eco-enzyme: A prospectious solution to achieve sustainability
Indonesia - Eco-enzyme is one of the long-term projects of PATA Lombok Tourism Polytechnic Student Chapter. This program is also commonly called “garbage enzyme”, a multipurposed liquid from fermentation of organic waste. This liquid has multiple functions, which can be use as mopping liquid, insect repellent, fertilizer and kitchen cleaner, even can be used as additional ingredient on the detergent to kill bacteria. This is because of the chemical reaction of organic waste with sugar through fermentation resulted in alcohol and acetic acid. Those two products were produced by metabolic process of bacterial (a good bacteria) from fruit or vegetable scraps.
Eco-enzyme is a fit program conducting on campus because of three reasons:
1. Mitigating the impact of food waste
Food waste can affect several tremendous health diseases. Leaving them to be wasted into the landfills can attract flies, rat and mosquito that lead to skin diseases, cause diarrhea, dysentery, Tiphus Abdominalis, cholera, Leptospirosis, and dengue fever. In Indonesia, the total of organic waste reach up to 60%, while only 7.5% of them are processed (Sustainable Waste Indonesia Study – CNN Indonesia, 2018). By making an eco-enzyme, students have contributed and indirectly encourage other students/ people to recycle food waste into a multipurposed cleaner.
2. Reduce the use of chemical
Most people rely on the chemical substances to clean their clothes, utensil, furniture and even to kill pests. Although it is effective, this causes side effects for their health because of accumulation of chemical into their bodies and wasting money to buy chemical. Therefore, minimising the use of chemical is needed. By using eco-enzyme as substitute or additional substances not only can prevent the possible side impacts of chemical but also can save money. Students or people can use their money for the more valuable purposes.
3. Promote a sustainable lifestyle – Education for students
By making eco-enzyme, students will learn how to utilise waste into valuable products. They will be motivated to create other products besides eco-enzyme from waste (both organic and inorganic waste). Students will be more aware to their environment and this attitude will be a good habit to be applied in their daily life.
At Lombok Tourism Polytechnic, students from Culinary Study Program always conduct practical study resulting a large amount of food waste especially fruits and vegetable. This previously were disposed without any treatment and it was sent to the waste bank near the campus. More than 10 kg of food waste are produced from kitchen and restaurant. By looking at this aspect, students from PATA Lombok Tourism Polytechnic Student Chapter attempted to find alternative to utilise the food waste into valuable products, which is eco-enzyme.
Figure 1. Student collected the food waste and sorted the based on the type
Figure 2. Orange's peel for eco-enzyme
The project of Eco-enzyme has been conducted on December 2019. Students, by cooperating with the kitchen staff and lecturers, collected food waste. About 10kg sorted food waste (vegetable and fruits) were collected at their first attempt, resulting 5-8 containers with ingredients of making eco-enzyme. The containers consisting water, food waste (vegetable or fruits) was stored on the dark room and periodically controlled by students. The containers were from plastic bottles collected on the bin around campus. About 3-4 months, students harvested the eco-enzyme and put it into other containers. The eco-enzyme is used as additional substances into the floor cleaner. Interestingly, it reduces the cost of operation on campus for floor cleaner supply. In addition, by adding the eco-enzyme into dishwashing liquid, it also reduces the expenditure, even eco-enzyme itself with a unique aroma can substitute the use of dishwashing liquid with satisfied results (Result of experiment, 2020).
We do recommend Eco-enzyme as an alternative solution to reduce amount of food waste around the world. In addition, by using eco-enzyme, we can save money, save environment and spent our time stay at home with fun activity.
Figure 3. Collecting the plastic bottle around campus
Figure 4. Students copped the fruits and vegetable for making eco-enzyme
Figure 5. Eco-enzyme from different kinds of fruits/vegetable
Figure 6. Eco-enzyme is ready to use
For more information, PATA Indonesia Lombok Tourism Polytechnic Student Chapter’s Eco Enzymeproject [VIDEO]: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CHr0QXKlhaQ/?igshid=1v9mozgcirex