Balikpapan — Students of Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (ITK) continue to demonstrate their contribution to sustainable environmental management through community service activities. Through the PKM BIMA program entitled “EcoBrick Innovation for Miftakhul Huda Mosque Youth: Supporting Balikpapan’s Sustainability as a Buffer City for IKN,” ITK students introduced a simple yet impactful solution to reduce plastic waste in the community.

The program was led by Anesya Mahera Sari, a 2022 Digital Business student at ITK, under the supervision of Arief Nugraha Pontoh, S.T., M.Eng. from the Civil Engineering Study Program, Department of Civil Engineering and Planning. The activity was carried out at Miftakhul Huda Mosque, KM 8, North Balikpapan, involving mosque youth as the main community partners.

This community service program focused on processing plastic waste into EcoBricks, a method that uses plastic bottles filled tightly with non-organic plastic waste so they can be reused as functional and environmentally friendly materials. Through this innovation, plastic waste that was previously not properly managed can be transformed into useful products for the community.

The program began with a socialization session for local residents and mosque youth on the importance of plastic waste management. Participants then received hands-on training on how to make EcoBricks, starting from sorting waste, cleaning plastic materials, cutting them into smaller pieces, and compacting them into bottles. The program also continued with a pilot project in the mosque area, followed by mentoring and evaluation to ensure its sustainability.

As the program leader, Anesya explained that the initiative was driven by her concern over plastic waste problems around the mosque environment. According to her, EcoBrick is a simple solution that can be carried out collectively and easily adopted by the community.

“I joined this community service activity because I saw firsthand that plastic waste around the mosque had not been properly managed. I wanted to contribute by offering a simple solution that could be done together, such as making EcoBricks,” said Anesya.

She added that the activity provided valuable experience because students were able to learn directly with the community, share knowledge, and witness the real impact of the program. Beyond reducing waste, the initiative also encouraged mosque youth to become more environmentally aware and gain practical skills.

“This activity gave me direct experience in addressing waste problems and working with the community. I learned that even simple waste management practices can create meaningful impact when carried out consistently,” she added.

Through this activity, ITK reaffirms its commitment as a higher education institution that contributes not only through academic work but also through real solutions for society. The EcoBrick program at Miftakhul Huda Mosque reflects students’ efforts to support environmental sustainability, community empowerment, and Balikpapan’s role as a buffer city for Indonesia’s new capital, IKN.

With the spirit of ITK Berdampak, this initiative is expected to continue and involve more community members, so that environmental awareness can grow and bring long-term benefits to the surrounding area.