(FEB NEWS) Armed with creativity and concern for the environment, a group of Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) students created odor-eliminating and antibacterial products from natural materials such as corn cobs and coffee grounds. Through synergistic collaboration, Andini Maulidiyah Rachma (Development Economics 2022), Sofia Naisa Hidayat (Accounting 2022), Misfa Shafwah Zahidah (Accounting 2022), Amelia Safira Putri Vaturrachma (Pharmacy 2022), and Mochammad Fahd Ali Hillaby (Data Science Technology 2022) succeeded in developing this innovation.
The five students submitted a proposal entitled ODORE: Innovation of Odor Eliminating and Antibacterial Biodegradable Products Based on the Utilization of Corn Cob Waste (Zea mays) and Coffee Grounds (Coffea sp) and have succeeded in obtaining funding from the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture through the Student Creativity Program in Entrepreneurship (PKM-K ) under the guidance of Mr Angga Erlando, SE, M.Ec.Dev., Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Business UNAIR.
Misfa Shafwah Zahidah, as team leader, explained that ODORE's interesting innovation lies in the use of corn cob waste and coffee grounds as the main ingredients. The reason for choosing this raw material is because of the abundance of corn farming products, while corn cob waste is still not utilized optimally. It's the same with coffee grounds which are often just thrown away. They get these coffee grounds from various coffee shops in the city of Surabaya.
"We should still be able to process waste corn cobs and coffee grounds into products with high selling value, because if they are thrown away or burned they can cause pollution," said Misfa.
Currently, ODORE is the first innovation in deodorizing and antibacterial products from organic waste materials in Indonesia. ODORE is specially formulated to eliminate odor-causing bacteria by utilizing the hygroscopic properties of corn cobs which can absorb moisture and adding natural fragrance from coffee grounds with chemical compounds that have antibacterial activity.
This product comes in granular form packaged in a porous bag, giving it its own distinctive character on the market. With this innovation, the ODORE team not only offers a practical solution to odor and damp problems, but also demonstrates the potential of organic waste in creating environmentally friendly, high-value products.
ODORE is offered with a product image that is unique, practical and easy to use, making it a superior product in the multipurpose fragrance product line. ODORE can be placed in places that have the potential to be damp and cause odors, such as shoes, wardrobes, container boxes, and so on. In addition, ODORE can be used repeatedly by drying or drying when it reaches the maximum usage limit.
It doesn't stop there, Misfa also revealed that ODORE uses environmentally friendly packaging, designed from wood shavings so it breaks down easily. This biodegradable packaging was chosen because the ingredients are formulated to be broken down by enzymes produced by living organisms, so they do not pollute the environment.
"ODORE is a business that is profitable in terms of economics and innovation because it is able to utilize organic waste into a product with economic value. With ODORE, we hope to be able to contribute to the implementation of SDGs Goal 12 so that we can create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly Indonesia," concluded Misfa.
For further information, visit the Instagram page @odore.id
