UNS — The Teaching Assistance Group from the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) grant program at Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta introduced plastic waste recycling creations for making ecobricks at Surakarta Sports Junior High School. This activity is part of the Projek Penguatan Profil Pelajar Pancasila (P5) activities at the school.

Khoirul Nur Adhi, a member of the MBKM team and UNS Science Education student, explained that an ecobrick is an environmentally friendly brick made from plastic waste. Plastic bottles are filled with smaller plastic waste to create a solid, reusable brick.

The activity began on May 29, 2024, with the teaching assistants delivering a presentation on using plastic waste and bottles to make ecobricks. Besides presenting the material, the teaching assistants also encouraged the students of Surakarta Sports Junior High School to actively participate by asking questions and practicing the ecobrick-making process.

“Each student was asked to bring two used plastic bottles filled with compacted plastic waste. These plastic bottles were then collected to make an ecobrick rack,” Khoirul explained.

Dyah Ayu Saraswati, the head of the Teaching Assistance Team, added that after learning about ecobrick assembly, the students started constructing racks with the collected ecobrick materials in their respective classes. Each ecobrick creation was evaluated based on neatness, aesthetics, and creativity.

“Four classes participated in this ecobrick assembly activity, with each class being assisted by 2 to 3 students in constructing the racks. The students were also asked to decorate their creations as beautifully as possible, as the finished racks would be judged on various aspects,” Dyah elaborated.

The ecobrick racks were showcased during a creation exhibition, marking the culmination of the P5 activities at Surakarta Sports Junior High School. The displayed ecobrick racks were then judged by a panel of teachers and school staff.

The Surakarta Sports Junior High School Teaching Assistance Group is an MBKM UNS grant group consisting of ten students from the Science Education Program, guided by Isma Aziz Fakhrudin, S.Pd., M.Pd., and Annisa Nur Khasanah, S.Pd., M.Pd.

“This activity aims to familiarize students with environmental conservation by recycling waste into artistic creations,” Dyah concluded.

Humas UNS

Reporter: Annisa Fakhira Editor: Dwi Hastuti