UNAIR NEWS – Five Accounting students of the Faculty of Economics and Business Universitas Airlangga have just made another bright achievement in the field of entrepreneurship. Rizky, Vany, Nicholas, Adriano, and Ainurrofiq created a food container made from straw to address environmental waste issues in the community. The innovation brought the team to win 1st place in the KMI Award of the National Achievement Center (Puspresnas) 2023 in the fields of manufacturing and applied technology.
The KMI Award is a student entrepreneurship competition in Indonesia organized by the National Achievement Center. It was held from November 13th to 17th, 2023, at Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha, Singaraja, Bali. More than 2,000 students from 378 universities across Indonesia participated in the competition.
All participants competed to market their products at a bazaar stand provided by the organizer. All participants also gave presentations there and were immediately assessed by the panel of judges.
Before the awarding stage in Bali, Rizky explained that there was a P2MW stage, which involved funding by the Pusresnas for the teams that passed the selection stage. The P2MW took place from March to September 2023.
Sustainable product
Rizky and the team introduced the Eco-Chop, an eco-friendly food container to replace regular containers that cause waste. It is made from straw waste. They hoped to reduce the waste while simultaneously improving the farmers’ livelihoods in a village in Trenggalek.
“Eco-Chop is a food container made from straw. We support the businesses of farmers in Trenggalek, providing income from meager agricultural yields. We bought and processed the straw. That way, the farmers could get more profit,” Rizky told UNAIR NEWS in an interview.
In the KMI Award, the product’s utility and sustainability are assessed.
“KMI focuses on the product’s sustainability. More than solving a problem in the community, the product must sustain,” he said.
Teamwork
Participating in competitions involving groups requires excellent teamwork and cooperation. Rizky admitted that his group often deal with differing opinion.
“We had conflicts and differing opinions within the team. But, Alhamdulillah, after receiving guidance, we were able to reunite toward our initial goal,” he said.
He hoped to develop the Eco-Shop conscientiously. The principles Rizki’s team upholds are not just focused on seeking profit but also considering the well-being of people and the environment that needs to be preserved.
Author: Maryam Fauziah
Editor: Feri Fenoria
