UNIPMA – Carrying the spirit of waste utilization and environmental sustainability, Group 1 of the Leadership Project from the Pre-Service Teacher Professional Education Program (PPG) in Elementary School Studies at Universitas PGRI Madiun (UNIPMA) held a community empowerment initiative in Bantengan Village, Madiun Regency. Through a training program titled “Empowered Bantengan: Eco-Candles and POCAT from Waste,” they encouraged residents to process household and local industrial waste into useful and economically valuable products.

The activity, which took place at the Bantengan Village Hall on Saturday (October 3), focused on two innovative products: aromatherapy candles (eco-candles) made from used cooking oil and Liquid Organic Fertilizer from Eggshells (POCAT).

The group leader and initiator of the activity, Alfando Gayus Kuncoro, S.Pd., explained that the program was designed to change the community’s perspective on household waste.

“POCAT is a liquid organic fertilizer made from eggshells. We saw that the waste generated by the Si Didu Bread MSME had significant potential, approximately 10 kilograms per day, but there was no specific waste processing system in place. From there, we took action so that the waste would not go to waste,” explained Alfando Gayus Kuncoro, S.Pd.

In addition to liquid fertilizer, the students educated residents on how to turn used cooking oil into eco-candles or aromatherapy candles. This innovation aims to reduce household liquid waste while simultaneously creating new entrepreneurial opportunities.

This leadership project was carried out under the guidance of Lecturer and Project Supervisor Dr. Fida Rahmantika Hadi, M.Pd., under the theme “Turning Waste into Useful and Marketable Products.”

The residents’ enthusiasm was evident throughout the training. The Head of the Bantengan Village Family Welfare Empowerment (TP PKK), Puji Lestari, S.Pd., expressed her appreciation for the initiative and concern demonstrated by the PPG UNIPMA students.

“Alhamdulillah, the event went smoothly. Hopefully, this product-making training will truly provide tangible benefits, particularly in improving the welfare of the residents of Bantengan Village,” said Puji.

Through this initiative, the PPG Elementary School Studies students of UNIPMA hope that environmentally friendly waste-processing practices can become a sustainable culture in Bantengan Village. In addition to addressing the village’s waste problem, the introduction of marketable product innovations is expected to spark new economic opportunities for the local community.