PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - Kampoeng Rajoet Binong Jati processes plastic bottles into yarn to reduce waste and create economic value.

This innovation was developed by the community through the Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis) as a response to the problem of inorganic waste in the environment.

Binong Village Environmental Activist and Pokdarwis member Wawan Setiawan said that plastic bottles are collected, sorted, then shredded for reprocessing.

"Because we're in Bandung, we happen to be in the middle of environmental management in our area. It's true that Bandung is currently experiencing a trash emergency. So, we can process the waste, especially the discarded beverage bottles that visitors typically throw away. We collect them at the bottle house, reprocess them, and shred them," said Wawan.

The shredding process uses a processing machine and takes about 30 minutes to produce material that can be used to make yarn.

"This is an innovation from Pokdarwis to process inorganic waste into something more useful," he said.

This innovation reduces waste while opening up economic opportunities by utilizing waste into valuable materials.

Waste management is also carried out through waste banks by sorting various types of waste, from cardboard to plastic.

Specifically, plastic bottles processed into yarn can reduce the volume of waste by around 100 kilograms per month.

Wawan said the community initially faced challenges in accepting the program due to limited human resources and differences in views.

"When we socialize with the community, it's difficult to raise awareness. But when we show them our work, it turns out everyone is starting to support it," he said.

Processing results that have economic value encourage people to be more interested in participating in implementing the circular economy concept.

This concept makes previously unused waste re-utilized to produce new materials that have utility value.

Wawan hopes that this innovation will continue to develop and become an inspiration for other areas in Bandung City in reducing the waste problem.

"Hopefully, with our work, the Rajad Binong Jati Creative Tourism Village, with its innovation, processing organic waste from plastic bottles into yarn, will become an inspiration for the city of Bandung," he concluded.

Kampoeng Rajoet Binong Jati is now not only developing knitting crafts, but also processing waste into reusable materials.

(Bandung City Communications and Information Service/bhf)