Chemical Engineering Students of UPNVY Win 2nd Place in the National Writing Competition Agricultural Food Competition Season 16

Chemical Engineering Students of UPNVY Win 2nd Place in the National Writing Competition Agricultural Food Competition Season 16

Students from the Chemical Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Industrial Engineering (FTI) at the University of Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Yogyakarta (UPNVY) have won 2nd place in the National Writing Competition Agricultural Food Competition Season 16, held at the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman. This UPNVY student team presented an innovation titled ECOWRAP: An Eco-Friendly Biodegradable Wrapping Film Based on Water Hyacinth and Corn Cobs to Extend the Shelf Life of Fruits and Vegetables.

The team, consisting of Safinah Annajah Nasution (2023), Riyan Hidayat (2022), and Deva Meida Fachri (2023), along with their research advisor, Dr. Heri Septya Kusuma, S.Si., M.T., successfully impressed the judges with their eco-friendly solution in food packaging. Their innovation combines two natural materials—water hyacinth and corn cobs—that have great potential to reduce plastic waste and extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Additionally, the goal of this research is to reduce plastic waste while raising public awareness of the importance of using biodegradable natural materials.

The ECOWRAP innovation developed by UPNVY students offers an alternative solution to reduce the use of conventional plastic in the food packaging industry. ECOWRAP is designed using a combination of natural biopolymers extracted from water hyacinth and corn cobs, both known for their high biodegradability and optimal protection of fresh products. Water hyacinth, often considered a weed, and corn cobs, which are typically discarded, are now seen as valuable resources that can be utilized.

With this innovation, UPNVY students have demonstrated that waste can be transformed into a useful and eco-friendly product. This innovation is expected to have a positive impact on the future of the packaging industry and environmental sustainability.