Sustainable Environment Management through Utilization of Paper Waste into Seed Envelopes

Abstract

Paper waste sorting needs to be conducted to speed up the decomposition process. If separation is not carried out, the mixture of organic paper with inorganic waste will cause anaerobic decay and produce greenhouse gases. Therefore, PT. Pertamina Kilang Internasional RU V carried out an activity titled Pertamina RU V Innovation Project Series 5R Business Idea in 2022 to deal with their paper waste. We processed the paper waste into microgreen seed envelopes that can be planted and grown into vegetables. The variables observed were the ratio of paper pulp to water, namely 1: 10, 3:10, 6: 10, and 9: 10. The results revealed that the best treatment in the paper soaking process was on the second day and the composition of 3 kg of paper and 10 L of water was the best treatment based on the level of saturation, the ease of removing from the mold, and the thickness of the paper. In comparison, the best treatment for the growth of microgreens was the composition of 9 kg of paper and 10 L of water. The production results revealed that the percentage of the successful utilization of paper waste into seed envelopes was 75%.