Universitas Andalas KKN Program Promotes Waste Management Innovation in Nagari Batu Hampar in Support of SDG 11 and SDG 12

Universitas Andalas students participating in the 2025 Community Service Program (KKN), in collaboration with the Environmental Agency of Agam Regency, conducted a waste management outreach program in Nagari Batu Hampar to encourage more sustainable community practices. The initiative is closely related to SDG 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities and SDG 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production, as it promotes community-based waste management and the transformation of waste into useful economic and environmental opportunities.

The activity featured Randi Permana Putra, M.T., as the main speaker, who invited participants to rethink waste through a simple but thought-provoking question: whether waste should be seen as a problem or as a potential resource. Through this discussion, the community was encouraged to understand that both organic and inorganic waste can hold value when managed properly. Organic waste such as food scraps, for example, can be turned into compost or liquid organic fertilizer, while plastic and paper can be sold or processed into useful products.

During the session, participants were also introduced to the concept of a waste bank, where sorted waste can be “saved” in a way similar to saving money, with each type of waste assigned a corresponding value. The Environmental Agency was described as playing a role in providing guidance, supporting marketing, and building cooperation with recycling industries. In addition to theory, the outreach also introduced several practical technologies, including composters, eco enzymes, Black Soldier Fly maggot cultivation, and the conversion of plastic waste into fuel.

As a continuation of the discussion, Universitas Andalas KKN students introduced the Smokeless Burn Barrel as a more environmentally friendly waste-burning solution. The device was presented as a simple and affordable innovation designed to minimize smoke by ensuring sufficient oxygen supply, allowing combustion to take place more completely. This approach is expected to offer an alternative to the common practice of open waste burning, which often causes air pollution and health risks.

Through a field demonstration, residents were directly shown how to build and use the Smokeless Burn Barrel while also learning about its potential benefits for health and air quality. The innovation was presented as a concrete follow-up to the broader concept of integrated waste management that had been explained earlier in the socialization session. With support from the nagari government, the Environmental Agency, and active community participation, the method is expected to be applied more widely to help reduce air pollution and create a healthier living environment.

Overall, the activity showed that meaningful environmental change can begin with small, practical steps taken collectively. Through this program, Universitas Andalas students helped strengthen public awareness that waste does not have to remain a burden, but can instead become an opportunity when managed with the right knowledge, technology, and community commitment.