MEDAN-HUMAS—The Faculty of Engineering at Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) integrated eco brick production into the second day of its new student orientation (PKKMB) as part of the environmental awareness and healthy campus curriculum mandated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek). This activity involved freshmen from the Civil Engineering and Architecture programs.

Prof. Dr. Ir. Renita Manurung, M.T., Vice Dean I of the Faculty of Engineering, highlighted the importance of this initiative during the PKKMB session on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. "All the PKKMB materials presented are excellent. However, for our faculty, we have selected what we consider crucial for students to stimulate their academic and non-academic achievements. Our curriculum is now OBE (Outcome-Based Education), geared toward international standards. These are new challenges they will face. So, the materials we provide during the three days of PKKMB have specific targets and indicators," said Prof. Renita.

She added that ecobrick production is one of the key components of the environmental awareness material. Considering most students live in rented accommodations, the ecobrick project was chosen because it is manageable and accessible. "Ecobricks are an effort to reduce plastic waste. We know that plastic waste is currently the largest waste produced by society, from households to businesses. If students are accustomed to environmental awareness from the start, the hope is that they will not only be resilient but also become pioneers in addressing environmental issues," she emphasized.

Dr. Ir. Rahmi Karolina, S.T., M.T., IPM, GP, Head of the PKKMB Faculty of Engineering, shared that the 795 engineering freshmen prepared over 1,000 eco-brick bottles. Each student brought two bottles. "This material will be integrated into the environmental engineering curriculum. Ecobricks are included in the materials technology course to introduce construction materials as an alternative. We also have a pyrolysis machine that can convert energy from plastic waste," she explained.

Rahmi added that the ecobrick initiative is supported by the Plastic Wise community, which focuses on reducing and utilizing plastic waste. "An ecobrick is a building block made entirely from recyclable plastic waste packed into plastic bottles, which can then be assembled into construction blocks," she added.

The Faculty of Engineering has plans to commercialize the ecobrick project, building on two priority research programs led by faculty members.

"The freshmen will also learn about the process from the beginning of their studies until graduation. We give them an early perspective so they can prepare themselves. This is also important for preparing them for internationalization. Internationalization itself is part of the Key Performance Indicators (IKU) 8, with MBKM (Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka) falling under IKU 2. It's about supporting their readiness, equipping them with various soft skills, competitive activities, and achievements supporting IKU 1. This means they will be able to secure employment, pursue further studies, or start a business within six months of graduation," concluded Prof. Renita. (RJ)