Recycling Temple Waste into Organic Incense as Temple Environment Preservation in Bali Island
Authors: Wijaya I Made Wahyu , Ranwella K. B. Indunil Sandaruwan , Revollo Edgar Morales , Widhiasih Luh Ketut Sri , Putra Putu Eka Dharma , Junanta Putu Pande 
Published: June 2021

Kegiatan upacara di tempat suci pura di Pulau Bali rata-rata menghasilkan sampah sekitar 2000 L/hari. Sebagai bagian yang sangat penting dari budaya Bali, sesajen yang terdiri dari bunga, daun, buah-buahan dan bambu disajikan di setiap upacara keagamaan. Pembuangan sampah pura yang tidak tepat berpotensi menimbulkan gangguan pada kehidupan manusia dan lingkungan, seperti air dan sanitasi, penumpukan sampah, peningkatan tingkat pencemaran, dan kesehatan manusia. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendaur ulang sampah pura, khususnya sisa bunga menjadi dupa organik serta mengkaji alternatif lain dalam daur ulang sampah pura. Daur ulang sisa bunga menjadi dupa organik dilakukan dengan menggunakan tiga bahan campuran. Kajian literatur digunakan untuk menambah informasi alternatif daur ulang sampah pura dari penelitian sebelumnya. Hasil eksperimen menunjukan bahwa sampah sisa bunga dapat didaur ulang menjadi dupa organik. Rasio campuran 1:2 untuk sisa bunga dan bubuk esensial memberikan hasil terbaik. Dupa organik yang terbentuk sangat kuat dan padat. Selain itu, aroma campuran yang dihasilkan lebih baik di antara yang lain. Sampah pura juga dapat didaur ulang menjadi beberapa produk berharga, seperti kompos, ekstrak warna minyak atsiri, bubuk warna, atau biogas. Diestimasikan sebuah pura menghasilkan sekitar 200 kilogram sampah pura dalam satu hari upacara. Sekitar 40% dari sampah pura merupakan sisa bunga (berat basah) dengan kadar air sekitar 80%. Setelah melalui proses pengeringan, sisa bunga mencapai 16 kilogram. Diperkirakan sekitar 45 ton sampah pura dari 230 pura publik di Pulau Bali dapat didaur ulang setiap tahun melalui upaya daur ulang. Beberapa dampak yang ditimbulkan dari upaya daur ulang ini, seperti mengurangi sampah pura, menciptakan produk daur ulang yang dapat dipasarkan, dan meningkatkan keharmonisan antara budaya, lingkungan, dan masyarakat melalui pemberdayaan masyarakat. ABSTRACTCeremonial’s activities in Bali’s Temple have produced about 2000 L/day of waste in average. As an integral part of Balinese culture, devotion offerings which consists of flowers, leaves, fruits and bamboo are presented at every ceremony. The improper disposal of temple waste potentially causes a stress on the basic services in human life, such as water and sanitation, waste accumulation, raising the level of pollution, and human health. The present study aims to leverage of temple waste, especially discarded flower into organic incense through recycling and find out the foreseen impact of this initiative to the environment. Processing discarded flower into organic incense was conducted in this research with three material mixtures ratio. A literature review was added to enhance the alternatives of discarded flowers recycling on previous research. It is found that discarded flower was successfully recycled into organic incense. The preliminary experiments showed that the ratio of 1:2 for discarded flowers and essential powder gave the best results. The incenses were very strong formed and solid. Additionally, the smell of best mixture was the best among others. Besides, temple waste can be recycled to some valuable products, such as vermicompost, dyes extraction, essential oil, color powder, or biogas. It assumed that a temple has produced around 200 kilograms of temple waste during a ceremonial day. About 40% of those was discarded flowers (wet weight) that 80% contains water. After the drying process, it has left 16 kilograms of dried discarded flowers. It estimated around 45 tons of discarded flowers from 230 public temples around Bali could be recycled every year through this recycling effort. Some impacts come up with following this initiative, such as reducing the temple waste, creating a marketable recycling product, and build up a harmony between the cultural, environment, and society through community empowerment.