Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS), through the Community Partnership Empowerment Program, has introduced pyrolysis technology as a concrete solution to the waste problem in Pesanggrahan Village, Batu City. Supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, this initiative aims to convert accumulated plastic waste into a valuable source of alternative energy.
The community service team, led by Lucky Putri Rahayu from the Department of Automation Electrical Engineering at ITS, integrated this appropriate technology into the operations of the local Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Waste Treatment Facility (TPS3R). The selection of Pesanggrahan Village was based on its existing waste management infrastructure, supported by a 2,000-square-meter site and an active management group.
The pyrolysis process works by heating High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Polypropylene (PP) plastic waste to temperatures of 350 to 400 degrees Celsius. In an initial small-scale trial, 7 kilograms of plastic waste were successfully converted into approximately 140-150 milliliters of pyrolysis oil, which has proven combustibility, making it a potential alternative fuel to meet residents' needs.
Beyond providing the machinery, the ITS team also built an automation system equipped with temperature sensors and a human-machine interface (HMI) to ensure operational safety and efficiency. In addition to technical aspects, the community received in-depth education on circular economy-based waste management, particularly the importance of sorting waste at the household level as a key factor for successful processing.
Dr. Melania Suweni Muntini, a team member, emphasized that cutting-edge technology still requires active public participation in sorting waste so that the resulting raw material meets the machine's requirements. This approach is expected to reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills (TPA) while creating new, sustainable economic opportunities for the residents of Pesanggrahan Village.
The Pesanggrahan Village Government welcomed this breakthrough as a step toward modernizing environmental management. Looking ahead, ITS is committed to continuing its support for TPS3R operators by developing standard operating procedures, monitoring system performance, and evaluating impact to establish a self-reliant community empowerment model aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
