Sustainable Planting Media Innovation from Root Waste, ITB Student Team Wins Champion at ChEAthon Event
By Luisa Carmel - Mahasiswa Teknik Kimia, 2021
Editor Anggun Nindita
BANDUNG, itb.ac.id — Two students from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) won first place in the Chemical Engineering Ideation Marathon (ChEAthon), part of the 2025 Indonesia Chemical Engineering Challenge (IChEC) organized by the ITB Chemical Engineering Student Association (HIMATEK-ITB).
The winners are Putri Dysa Ayu Khalisyah (Biology, 10624030) and Joevan Faturahman (Chemical Engineering, 13023020) from ITB. They collaborated with Daffa Adipramana from Universitas Indonesia (UI).
Their team proposed REKAR, a sustainable planting medium made from plant root waste. It improves water absorption, reduces startup costs, and feeds crops with important nutrients, all of which help farmers increase output. Circularity can be further enhanced through the BankKer system, which acts as a collection hub for plantation waste, allowing it to berepurposed into raw materials for REKAR and supporting sustainable agricultural practices.
This competition features a unique concept: incubating ideas related to technology and chemical materials within a limited time to develop their ideas into a complete concept. Three individual participants are grouped into a team through a matchmaking procedure to create ideas, presentations, and infographics on one of the five top ideas submitted by the participants within 30 hours. The results were then presented in front of the judges and seminar participants on Sunday (9/2/2025).
Presentation of results to the jury (Doc. IChEC Committee)
Putri and Joevan shared that the experience was memorable, as they had to quickly build chemistry with their teammates. They emphasized that teamwork was the key to generating innovative ideas. Effective communication played a vital role in fostering collaboration and ensuring that every team member was able to contribute their skills and expertise to the fullest, ultimately enhancing the overall success of the project.
"Sharing ideas is a crucial factor in exploring various perspectives that can enrich the concepts being developed," said Joevan.
Putri also encouraged her classmates to be open to new experiences and challenges.
"First, don't be scared to explore new things and share your thoughts. Second, strong communication is essential for effective collaboration. Third, recognize problems in everyday life," she recommended.
Translator: Nasywa Az Zahra (Business Management, 2026)
