Empowerment of the Kembang PKK Group in Realizing the Right to a Good and Healthy Environment through the Processing of Organic Waste into Eco-Enzyme

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FORMOSA NEWS - Yogyakarta - Indonesian Women Turn Kitchen Waste into Eco-Enzyme to Secure Constitutional Right to Healthy Environment. The community service activities carried out by Nita Ariyani, Devi Andani, Sudiyana, Dwi Oktafia Ariyanti, and Fransisca Romana Harjiyatni from Janabadra University, in collaboration with Hetty Dyah Kartini from PT. RajaGrafindo Persada Yogyakarta and Mohd Zamre Mohd Zahir from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), in a research article published in the Asian Journal of Community Services (AJCS), Vol. 5, No. 5, 2026 The community-based project, conducted between May and June 2025 in Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, provides a scalable blueprint for decentralized waste management by transforming household food scraps into valuable organic products. This initiative significantly reduces domestic waste at the source while fostering legal literacy and economic independence among local families.

The Crisis of Household Waste in Urban Ecosystems
Effective waste management at the domestic level remains a critical challenge for sustainable development and public welfare across rapidly urbanizing nations. According to data from the National Waste Management Information System (SIPSN) of the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry, household activities contributed a staggering 56.41% of the country’s total waste volume. In regions like Bantul Regency, this figure escalates significantly, where domestic household waste represents 66.45% of the total regional waste output. When organic waste is left unmanaged in landfills, it undergoes anaerobic decomposition, releasing potent greenhouse gases and generating toxic leachate that pollutes soil and local water systems. Furthermore, poorly managed domestic waste acts as a breeding ground for severe public health vectors, causing diseases such as diarrhea, dengue hemorrhagic fever, and respiratory infections. To combat this escalating environmental emergency, the Regional Government of Bantul Regency issued explicit mandates urging citizens to independently process organic waste at the community level. The team of researchers recognized that the Family Welfare Empowerment (PKK) movement a nationwide grassroots community network managed by and for women offered the most strategic entry point to deploy sustainable environmental solutions directly inside Indonesian households.

Blending Legal Literacy with Simple Biochemical Methods
The collaborative team focused their efforts on empowering the "PKK Kembang" group, an active neighborhood association comprising women in Kalipucang Hamlet, Bangunjiwo Village, Kasihan District, Bantul Regency. The implementation methodology followed a structured, three-stage community action framework:

• Preparation and Assessment: The research team engaged in participatory discussions with 27 active members of the PKK Kembang group to assess local household waste production and design a tailored logistical training plan.
• Implementation and Training: The core of the project involved educational outreach concerning environmental law, coupled with interactive, hands-on workshops led by environmental activist Hetty Dyah Kartini.
• Evaluation and Monitoring: The researchers evaluated the technical proficiency and legal awareness of the participants through collaborative question-and-answer sessions and direct observation of the resulting fermentations.

During the practical workshop phase, the women of the PKK Kembang group were trained to utilize a precise, low-cost biochemical fermentation ratio of 10:3:1 to synthesize eco-enzyme. The procedure requires mixing 10 parts of clean water (such as well water or rainwater), 3 parts of fresh, uncooked organic waste (such as fruit peels and vegetable scraps), and 1 part of unrefined sugar (molasses or brown sugar). This mixture is sealed tightly in wide-mouthed plastic containers to prevent rust and potential explosions from gas accumulation. The solution undergoes a natural, anaerobic fermentation process for exactly 90 days, yielding a dark brown liquid packed with beneficial catalytic proteins and organic acids.

Transformative Environmental and Legal Findings
The research yielded definitive, measurable progress in community legal literacy, technical skill acquisition, and decentralized environmental protection. The key findings from the evaluation stage include:

• 100% Technical Mastery: All 27 participating members of the PKK Kembang group demonstrated complete independence in executing the eco-enzyme production process, successfully converting raw kitchen waste into standardized fermentations.
• Decentralized Waste Reduction: By processing fruit and vegetable scraps directly inside the kitchen, the project effectively averted a significant volume of domestic organic waste from entering local municipal landfills.
• Enhanced Legal Agency: The educational outreach successfully bridged the gap between abstract legal theories and daily household tasks. Participants developed a clear understanding that waste segregation is a practical fulfillment of their constitutional rights.

The study highlighted that connecting environmental actions to the Indonesian Constitution serves as a powerful psychological motivator for community participation. By referencing Article 28H, paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia which guarantees every citizen the right to a good and healthy environment the participants viewed waste processing not as an inconvenient chore, but as an act of civic empowerment.

Real-World Implications and Socioeconomic Impacts

The successful training of the PKK Kembang group carries substantial implications for public policy, economic development, and environmental sustainability. The resulting eco-enzyme liquid functions as a highly versatile, non-toxic alternative to synthetic commercial products. In daily domestic applications, it serves as an effective natural floor cleaner, biodegradable detergent, fabric softener, liquid soap, and organic pesticide. Furthermore, eco-enzyme possesses unique environmental restoration properties. When discharged into domestic drainage systems, lakes, or rivers, it actively catalyzes the breakdown of pollutants and improves local water quality. Applied to agriculture, the liquid acts as a potent organic fertilizer capable of rehabilitating nutrient-depleted soils and promoting sustainable home farming. From a policy perspective, this decentralized approach aligns perfectly with governmental waste-reduction targets. By managing organic waste at its source, local municipalities can drastically reduce the financial and logistical burdens associated with waste transportation, landfill maintenance, and public health management. The project also establishes a foundation for economic empowerment, as the surplus eco-enzyme produced by the women can be packaged, branded, and commercialized within local markets.

Author Profiles

Nita Ariyani, S.H., M.Hum. is a legal scholar and senior lecturer in the Faculty of Law at Universitas Janabadra, Indonesia. Her primary area of academic expertise centers on environmental law, agrarian law, and community-based legal empowerment.

Hetty Dyah Kartini is an environmental activist and researcher affiliated with PT RajaGrafindo Persada Jogjakarta, specializing in community waste-processing systems and organic recycling technologies.

Devi Andani, S.H., M.H. is an academic researcher in the Faculty of Law at Universitas Janabadra, Indonesia, focusing on human rights law and constitutional mandates.

Dr. Mohd Zamre Mohd Zahir is an expert in medical law and environmental ethics within the Faculty of Law at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), specializing in international environmental protection frameworks.

Source

Nita Ariyani, Hetty Dyah Kartini, Devi Andani, Sudiyana, Dwi Oktafia Ariyanti, Fransisca Romana Harjiyatni, Mohd Zamre Mohd Zahir. Empowerment of the Kembang PKK Group in Realizing the Right to a Good and Healthy Environment through the Processing of Organic Waste into Eco-Enzyme.  Asian Journal of Community Services (AJCS), Vol. 5, No. 5 (2026): 225-238
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/ajcs.v5i5.14
URL: https://journalajcs.my.id/index.php/ajcs