Kudus Regency recently saw the emergence of an innovation to process waste using a shredding machine created by two engineering students at Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus). The machine proves not only the creativity of these two students but also the fact that waste management or processing can be more efficient and sustainable.

The two students were students of the Engineering Faculty, comprising Ary Putra Prasetia and Mohammad Aunun Yusron. They managed to invent the waste-shredding machine, which was named Cah Onar Machine—an abbreviation of Mesin Pencacah Organik dan Anorganik (lit. Organic and non-organic Waste Shredding Machine).

The machine is powered by an electric dynamo with a power of 1,500 watts, allowing it to shred a total of 40kg of waste per hour. The invention was handed to the Residential, Housing, and Living Environment Service of Kudus Regency to be used at the landfill in Rendeng Area.

The machine, created by two industrial engineering students, was an output of their final project, which is a part of Capstone Design. Capstone Design is a program allowing students to work on their final projects as a team, and these projects will later be useful for both the public and private sectors.

According to Ary, the machine aimed to resolve the urgency of the necessity of a device that can help process waste efficiently in Kudus Regency. He also added that the shredded waste had the potential to be recycled, both as organic fertilizer and eco-bricks made of plastic waste.

“We chose to work on this project since we thought it would be beneficial for the public,” Ary revealed.

Heri Muryanto, the Head of the Waste Management and Green Environment Division at the Residential, Housing, and Living Environment Service of Kudus Regency, looked forward to putting the shredding machine into practice. According to Heri, the same device used at the landfill in the Rendeng Area was still using diesel. With the new addition of this shredding machine, waste management is expected to see an improvement in Kudus Regency.

 “We expect this machine to maximize the waste-shredding process at the landfill of Rendeng Area,” he uttered.

The Cah Onar Machine developed by students does not only serve as an academic project but also an output of collaborations between the education sector and the regional government resolving environmental problems. This machine is expected to be a stepping stone for the emergence of other inventions supporting waste management in Indonesia, particularly in places where waste management is done using conventional methods.

Meanwhile, the Vice Dean of the Engineering Faculty at Udinus and the Final Project’s Advisor, Dr. Ratih Setyaningrum, M.T., appreciated the machine. She further explained that the Capstone Design Program had been going on for several years prior, which acted as a means for students to showcase their final projects.

“Students must be able to resolve a problem from the initial design to its implementation in a final project exhibition. The final projects themselves are worked on as a team,” he emphasized.

The machine's handover to the regional government also shows the importance of synergies between the education sector and the government in facing environmental challenges. This commitment is expected to inspire students and other educational institutions to keep coming up with innovation for the sake of this nation and the well-being of its environment. (Humas Udinus/Alex. Foto: Dok. Pribadi)