Balikpapan – Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (ITK) continues to demonstrate its commitment to preserving coastal environments through a community service program entitled “Trash Boom Construction Through the Empowerment of Sekolah Pantai Indonesia (SPI) for Sustainable Coastal Waste Management” in 2025.

The program was implemented by an interdisciplinary research team from the Statistics and Information Systems Study Programs, Faculty of Science and Information Technology (FSTI), under the coordination of Riki Herliansyah, S.Si., M.Stats., Ph.D (Statistics/JSAD). The initiative collaborates with Sekolah Pantai Indonesia (SPI) as the main partner in empowering coastal communities.

Background

The issue of plastic waste in the coastal areas of Balikpapan City continues to escalate. Rivers carrying domestic waste from upstream areas have become one of the primary contributors to marine debris that eventually pollutes coastal zones. This condition not only affects environmental aesthetics but also threatens marine ecosystems and the sustainability of coastal livelihoods.

In response to this challenge, the ITK team introduced a simple yet impactful technological social innovation known as the Trash Boom—a floating barrier made from locally sourced materials installed in waterways to intercept waste before it reaches the shoreline.

Innovation and Implementation

The Trash Boom is designed as an effective, economical, and easily replicable solution. The device prevents waste from flowing into the sea by collecting it at a single point, making it easier to retrieve and manage.

The key strength of this innovation lies in its community empowerment approach. Beyond installing the device, the research team conducted:

• Socialization and education on organic and inorganic waste management
• Operational, maintenance, and repair training for the Trash Boom
• Mentoring on transforming collected waste into value-added products

Through these training activities, SPI volunteers and managers are encouraged to independently operate and maintain the equipment, ensuring the program’s long-term sustainability.

Program Benefits and Impact

This community service program provides several strategic benefits, including:

• Improving the effectiveness of coastal waste mitigation by preventing river waste from entering the sea through the installation of Trash Booms in SPI coastal areas.
• Providing environmental education to communities and students regarding the impact of waste on coastal ecosystems and the importance of preventive actions from upstream sources.
• Enhancing the capacity of SPI volunteers and managers in independently managing and maintaining simple technologies.
• Producing a social innovation model that can be replicated in other coastal areas of Balikpapan and across Indonesia.
• Supporting the circular economy by channeling collected waste to the SPI waste bank as an alternative income source for coastal communities.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

The research team involved in this initiative consists of lecturers and students from the Statistics and Information Systems Study Programs of FSTI ITK, namely:

• Riki Herliansyah, S.Si., M.Stats., Ph.D (Statistics/JSAD)
• Ocarosen Simbolon (Statistics/FSTI)
• Achmad Zaki Zaidan (Information Systems/FSTI)
• Aditya Laksamana P. Butar Butar (Information Systems/FSTI)
• Adonia Azarya Tamalonggehe (Information Systems/FSTI)
• Anjas Geofany Diamare (Information Systems/FSTI)
• Ariel Itsbat Nurhaq (Information Systems/FSTI)
• Chelsy Olivia (Information Systems/FSTI)
• Dzaky Rasyiq Zuhair (Information Systems/FSTI)
• Fikri Ahmad Riza (Statistics/FSTI)
• Rani Ayu Dewi (Information Systems/FSTI)

This interdisciplinary collaboration strengthens a data-driven, technology-based, and socially empowered approach to addressing environmental challenges comprehensively.

A Sustainable Commitment

Through the SPI empowerment-based Trash Boom innovation, ITK reaffirms its role as a higher education institution that not only focuses on the advancement of science and technology but also actively delivers tangible solutions for society.

This simple yet impactful and sustainable solution is expected to serve as a growing social innovation model and to strengthen collective efforts in preserving the cleanliness and sustainability of Indonesia’s coastal areas.