On August 30, 2024, the Faculty of Earth Technology and Energy (FTKE) Universitas Trisakti hosted an international community service event on the topic of “Urban Mining: Recycling Electronic Waste and Economic Metal Extraction.” This event was attended by high school teachers from the Geography Subject Teacher Discussion Group (MGMP) of West Jakarta. The PKM took place in the Diponegoro Room, Building D, 5th Floor, Universitas Trisakti, from 08:30 to 11:30.

The session was led by Mira Meirawaty, S.T., M.T., a lecturer from the Geological Engineering Program at Trisakti, and Yuga Maulana, S.T., M.T., a lecturer from the Mining Engineering Program. The event was hosted by Dyah Ayu, S.T., M.T., also from the Geological Engineering Program. The event saw enthusiastic participation from 20 geography teachers.

This PKM initiative is part of the “giving back to society” effort stemming from the Short Stay Programme (SSP) 2024 at Akita University, Japan, which the speakers participated in during June-July 2024. The international collaboration between Universitas Trisakti and Akita University enabled the speakers to gain valuable insights that were subsequently shared with the community through this PKM.

The event was attended by:

• Dr. Ir. Suryo Prakoso, S.T., M.T., Dean of FTKE
• Ir. Mulia Ginting, M.T., Vice Dean III
• Dr. Ir. Suherman Dwi Nuryana, S.T., M.T., Head of the Geological Engineering Program
• Cahyaningratri Prima Riyandhani, S.T., M.T., Assistant Vice Dean III, Geological Engineering
• Dr. Eko Widianto, S.T., M.T.
• Nono Karna S.Pd, from MGMP Geography I Jakarta Barat
• Muhammad Reza, S.Pd, from MGMP Geography II Jakarta Barat

The event featured interactive discussions between participants and speakers, concluding with a quiz and door prizes, and a ceremonial momento from FTKE for the guests. Following the presentation, the guests were given a tour of the FTKE laboratories.

About Urban Mining: Urban mining addresses the critical issue of electronic waste (e-waste), which requires special handling due to the presence of sensitive metal materials. Urban mining refers to the integrated recycling method of e-waste to recover and extract valuable metals contained within. Electronic devices like air conditioners, refrigerators, PCs, laptops, and even vehicles contain economically significant materials such as copper (Cu), tin (Sn), nickel (Ni), gold (Au), silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), cobalt (Co), and rare earth elements (REE).

In advanced countries like Japan and the European Union, electronic waste management for recycling and the reuse of raw materials in manufacturing industries is performed systematically. The PKM session shared experiences from the SSP 2024, including company visits to smelting facilities and recycling plants, such as Kosaka Rare Metals Co., Ltd., and Dowa Eco-System Co., Ltd., in Akita, Japan.

In these countries, urban mining is conducted under government supervision through regular e-waste collection and recycling infrastructure, aiming to provide an alternative to traditional mining and offer economic value from electronic waste. By sharing this knowledge with educators, especially geography teachers from MGMP, the hope is to promote urban mining as a viable solution for meeting metal material needs and effectively managing electronic waste.