One morning in a small alley near the industrial area in Kampung Masigit, Margagiri Village, Bojonegara, Serang Regency, Banten, a woman was seen busy pulling a cart towards residents' homes to provide doorstep trash pick-up services for customers, including used cooking oil. The woman was Amaliyah Sholihah (43), Chairperson of Bank Sampah MATA (Masigit Asri Tanpa Sampah). Starting from early 2023, Bank Sampah MATA has utilized part of Amaliyah's land as a site for collection, management, and processing of inorganic waste. Alongside four other staff members, she tirelessly manages the waste bank which currently has 85 customers.
For the customers, Amaliyah's presence always brings a ray of hope. Like Saimah (45) and Masfuah (60), two of the dozens of housewives in the village, who no longer dispose of their household waste in vain. Depositing cardboard, plastic, and even used cooking oil that can be weighed daily at the waste bank or picked up anytime has become a new routine for them. With purchasing prices for cardboard and plastic waste reaching Rp2,000-Rp3,000 per kilogram and Rp5,000 per liter for used cooking oil, waste that was once seen as a problem has transformed into an additional source of income for families.
Not content with merely collecting and selling used items, Bank Sampah MATA continues to innovate by processing used cooking oil purchased from customers into aromatherapy candles.
Chairperson of the MATA Waste Bank, Amaliyah Sholihah (center), carries various types of inorganic waste deposits from customers using a cart in Margagiri Village, Bojonegara, Serang Regency, Banten.
Chairperson of the MATA Waste Bank, Amaliyah Sholihah (right), receives used cooking oil deposits from customers in Margagiri Village, Bojonegara, Serang Regency, Banten.
“Every year, Bank Sampah MATA targets at least one recycled waste product innovation; if last year we made sofas from ecobricks, this year we are making aromatherapy candles from used cooking oil,” said Amaliyah.
With knowledge gained from KKN students, the formulation process is done meticulously: a solution of stearin and paraffin is mixed with used cooking oil, essential or aromatic oils, and colorants from leftover crayon remains. This mixture is then slowly poured into small glass containers of approximately 50-60 milliliters, creating works that transcend their original form.
Candles made from frying waste are not merely crafts but high-value MSME products. While unprocessed used cooking oil sells for only Rp7,000 per liter on the market, the beautiful candles with seven fragrance variants can be priced at Rp15,000 each. Through mentoring and guidance from PT Permodalan Nasional Madani (PNM) Serang Branch, these products have been showcased in various exhibitions. Sales that initially ranged from 10 to 30 pieces per month can now reach 50 to 100 pieces monthly, spreading acclaim for creations from Serang Regency across several regions in Banten, Jakarta, Probolinggo, and Blora.
Chairperson of the MATA Waste Bank, Amaliyah Sholihah (right), records customers’ used cooking oil deposits in Margagiri Village, Bojonegara, Serang Regency, Banten.
Collage photo of six customers posing while showing their MATA Waste Bank savings books in Margagiri Village, Bojonegara, Serang Regency, Banten.
Ultimately, financial gain is not the final goal of Bank Sampah MATA. Amaliyah is often invited as a resource person to share her knowledge to spread the spirit of environmental conservation among communities, students, and business actors. From a small alley near the industrial area, Amaliyah proves that blessings that illuminate others can be harvested from discarded waste.
Photo and Text: Angga Budhiyanto
Chairperson of the MATA Waste Bank, Amaliyah Sholihah, arranges used cooking oil from customers into a cart in Margagiri Village, Bojonegara, Serang Regency, Banten.
Bottles containing used cooking oil along with other ingredients for making aromatherapy candles are stored at the MATA Waste Bank, Margagiri Village, Bojonegara, Serang Regency, Banten.
Chairperson of the MATA Waste Bank, Amaliyah Sholihah, pours used cooking oil into a stearin and paraffin solution while completing the production of aromatherapy candles at her home in Margagiri Village, Bojonegara, Serang Regency, Banten.
Chairperson of the MATA Waste Bank, Amaliyah Sholihah, completes the production of aromatherapy candles made from used cooking oil at her home in Margagiri Village, Bojonegara, Serang Regency, Banten.
Chairperson of the MATA Waste Bank, Amaliyah Sholihah, shows aromatherapy candles made from used cooking oil at her home in Margagiri Village, Bojonegara, Serang Regency, Banten.
Chairperson of the MATA Waste Bank, Amaliyah Sholihah, shows aromatherapy candles made from used cooking oil at her home in Margagiri Village, Bojonegara, Serang Regency, Banten.
Staff arranges aromatherapy candles made from used cooking oil produced by the MATA Waste Bank displayed at the PT Permodalan Nasional Madani (PNM) Serang Branch Office, Serang City, Banten.
Editor: Akbar Nugroho Gumay
The caption is automatically translated by application. Click here for the Bahasa Indonesia version.
