The potential of liquid tofu waste as an alternative to liquid organic fertilizer in West Labuhbaru Village

Abstract

Tofu is the most widely consumed food product by Indonesian people. Tofu production in Indonesia still uses conventional methods and the waste produced has not been utilized optimally. Making tofu produces quite a large volume of waste, especially liquid waste. This tofu liquid waste contains high protein which decomposes quickly. Tofu waste also contains organic compounds with a low pH and is a pollutant contributor to the aquatic environment if no processing is carried out before being discharged into the environment. If this liquid is discharged into the environment without prior treatment, it can cause a foul odor and an unpleasant atmosphere. Tofu waste treatment can be done by several methods, such as the addition of effective microorganism bacteria, plasma ozonation, biogas, and food production. The potential of processing tofu waste into more useful products is not widely known by the public. Therefore, an alternative method of processing tofu waste is needed which is more effective and efficient so that it is easy to apply to the community. Some processing of tofu waste has the potential to become liquid organic fertilizer and reduce pollutant levels so that it is safer to dispose of it into the environment. Therefore the purpose of this community service activity is to process tofu liquid waste into organic fertilizer using fermentation. The fermentation process takes 14 days with the addition of EM4, coconut sugar, and enough water. All ingredients are mixed and stirred evenly then put in a closed container. After two weeks the liquid organic fertilizer can be used to fertilize plants by the community in West Labuhbaru Village. This activity involved nine students in real work lectures. The form of evaluation is carried out periodically by visiting, directly monitoring the fermentation process; and limited use of liquid fertilizer products.