Kalibaru, Cilincing: a coastal ward in North Jakarta bordering the Sea of Java. A majority of its inhabitants earn a living as fishermen and oyster shuckers. Each day, fishermen would bring hundreds of kilograms of oysters into shore, which would then be shucked into approximately 200 kilograms of oyster meat. The oyster meat serve as a modest, if not lucrative, source of income, while its shells, which are hitherto seen as by-products of no value, are promptly disposed of. They pile up and become waste, waste which generate unpleasant scent and invite hordes of flies, causing environmental and sanitary degradation, as can be seen in RW 01, a subdivision of the ward.
This situation, therefore, calls for a solution, one that could reduce the amount of oyster shell waste lying about in Kalibaru and its vicinities. A Community Service Team (Pengmas) from the School of Environmental Studies (SIL), Universitas Indonesia, sees a potential in turning these largely forsaken oyster shells into products of economic value. The team went directly to Kalibaru to share their findings with local residents. Processing oyster waste into readily marketable products involves several steps, according to the head of the Team, Dr. Hayati Sari Hasibuan. “First, we grind oyster shell waste into powder. Then, [the powder] is processed according to need: liquid fertilisers, cattle feed, or handicraft. The complete process is outlined in our pocket-book.”
Besides informing residents of RW 01 of the potentials of oyster shells and providing them with training, the team also produced oyster shell grinding machines of their own and distributed them to the residents. These machines, they hope, will allow residents to turn oyster shells into powder which may then in turn processed into the various aforementioned products.
The pocket-book mentioned by Dr. Hayati is also one of the products issued by Pengmas SIL UI. The book, which is intended as a reference guide for students, academicians, the government, and residents of the coastlines alike, contains simple instructions on the recycling of oyster shell waste. Among the things discussed in the book are the economic potentials of oyster shell waste to be found in Kalibaru, and innovative and creative measures local residents maye take in managing their oyster shell waste.
The School of Environemental Studies’ Community Service Team is comprised of the following lecturers and students: Dr. Ahyahudin Sodri, Hairunisa, M. Ikbal Alexander, Raisha Larasati Saleh, Ihya Sulthonuddin, Syahra Ariesta, Analissa Huwaini, Anindya Dewi L, Lisa Meidiyanti Lautetu, and Muhammad Hasnan Habib. Hayati hopes that this programme will “empower the economy of the [local] society by recycling oyster shell waste, while at the same time reducing the load the environment has to endure by oyster shell waste disposed into the sea and shores.”
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