Faculty of Forestry - Technical Implementation Unit of Integrated Research Laboratory Holds Community Service Program
Faculty of Forestry - Technical Implementation Unit of Integrated Research Laboratory Holds Community Service Program
Published by
Christoffel Daniel Yesaya Tambunan
Published at
Thursday, 04 August 2022
"The community service program under the international abdimas scheme, themed 'Plastic Waste Reduction,' led by Dr. Arif Nuryawan from the Faculty of Forestry (Fahutan) USU, was conducted through the first webinar series on Friday (15/07/2022). The team members included Dr. Iwan Risnasari, Prof. Dr. Rahmawaty (Faculty of Forestry), Dr. Delvian, Ir. Rahmi Karolina, M.T., and Dr. Hilma Tamiami Fahruddin (Faculty of Engineering)."
The partner for this program is the "Plastics Literacy Network" community, established in Manila, Philippines, on July 17, 2019, and coordinated by Prof. Dr. Deirdre McKay, a professor of Sustainable Development from Keele University, UK.
This inaugural webinar was officially opened by the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Forestry of Universitas Sumatera Utara, Dr. Agus Purwoko, who expressed great enthusiasm for the collaboration in both research and community service at local, national, and even international levels, as demonstrated by this event.
The first webinar series focused on "Plastics Litter on Land." The first speaker, Prof. Dr. Deirdre McKay, delivered a presentation on "Plastics and the Pandemic." The second speaker, Prof. Dr. Rahmawaty, a professor in Forest Management, discussed "The Potential Utilization of Plastics Litter in Urban Areas for Community Revenue."
87 participants from various institutions, both within and outside USU, including international attendees, attended the webinar. Representatives from the Philippines, Australia, the United Kingdom, and several provinces in Indonesia, such as East Kalimantan, Jambi, Lampung, South Sumatra, and North Sumatra, were present.
This webinar series is scheduled to be held monthly until December 2022, comprising six sessions covering various topics under the overarching theme of "Reduce Plastics in the Environment." The topics for each session are:
Series 1: Plastics Litter on Land
Series 2: Plastics Litter on Aquatic Ecosystem
Series 3: Plastics Litter in Sea
Series 4: Sustainable Fashion Using Non-Plastic Fiber
Series 5: Green Building Made of Plastics Mix
Series 6: Craft Made of Plastics Litter
Based on the evaluation responses from participants, the webinar was successfully conducted. It provided valuable information on plastic waste on land, fostering awareness of plastic pollution in residential areas, and discussing efforts to reduce plastic waste.
Overall, respondents expressed concern about the increasing amount of plastic waste on land and showed a willingness to take part in reducing it. Some suggested actions included avoiding plastic straws, bringing reusable shopping bags to minimize plastic bag usage, and carrying reusable water bottles or tumblers to reduce plastic bottle waste."
