Utilizing Organic Waste, Students of SMAN 11 Semarang Make Batik Indonesian Flora and Fauna

 Hundreds of class 10 students at SMAN 11 Semarang learned how to make batik as an effort to help preserve traditional Indonesian culture, Wednesday, February 7 2024. Uniquely, instead of using synthetic dyes, the students dyed batik using processed organic waste.

Monica Suprihatin, School Coordinating Teacher, explained that this activity at SMAN 11 Semarang was an implementation of the Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project (P5) which was carried out by around 400 grade 10 students. After the previous semester took another theme, this time the SMAN 11 Semarang school brought it Sustainable Lifestyle theme.

“This activity makes batik but the dye is made from organic waste. "The emphasis is actually on using organic waste to make batik," he said.

Apart from making batik using organic waste, said Monica, students at SMAN 11 Semarang have also learned how to use waste paper by recycling waste paper into new paper. The results have even been bound into a new book.

The organic waste they use includes; mangosteen skin, onion skin, and wood bark.

Monica explained that students at SMAN 11 Semarang had been collecting organic waste for some time. Once collected, the waste then goes through a boiling process for extraction. Only then will the results of the boil be used as coloring.

"We did that yesterday, so it's finished, the dye is ready to use. "It's purely from waste, only later there will be a fixation or color lock which also comes from nature, from tunjung wood and alum," he added.

Batik typical Indonesian flora and fauna

Furthermore, in line with the theme of Sustainable Lifestyle, students at SMAN 11 Semarang also made batik with certain objects. Namely the typical Indonesian flora and fauna.

According to Monica, flora and fauna were chosen as objects because they fit the theme, namely being close to nature.

"The hope is that this waste can be utilized, this waste will not just be wasted, but can also be used for creative work," he said.

Meanwhile, one of the students, Muhammad Fito, admitted that he was enthusiastic about participating in this batik activity. Moreover, he had never previously held a canting and scratched the night.

"This is our first time so it's quite difficult, but it's really exciting because we can learn how to make batik. "Batik is a traditional cloth from Indonesia," he said.

On the same day, grade 11 students at SMAN 11 Semarang also held P5 but with a different theme. Later, at the end of the semester, grades 10 and 11 will collaborate to carry out a flashmob with P5 movements and songs together.

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