Trisakti University Introduces SI-MANTAN, an Automatic Sorting and Shredding Machine for Used Plastic Bottles, at the Merdeka Innovation Summit 2023

Plastic bottle waste has long been a major issue in Indonesia. According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the country generates 64 million tons of plastic waste annually, with 3.2 million tons ending up in the ocean. Consequently, there is a need for a smart, effective, and efficient solution to address the problem of plastic waste—specifically plastic bottles—which is piling up and posing a serious threat to environmental sustainability.

To help mitigate this plastic bottle waste problem, Trisakti University recently unveiled a sophisticated machine named SI-MANTAN (System Integration for Machine as Nature Protection) at the Merdeka Innovation Summit 2023, held at Hotel Bidakara, Jakarta, on November 16–17, 2023. Prof. Dr. Ir. Astri Rinanti, MT, and Dr. Ir. Nurhikmah Budi Hartanti, MT, who were present at the event, shared the story of how SI-MANTAN came to be a participant in the summit.

According to Dr. Ir. Nurhikmah, the Trisakti University team—led by Prof. Dr. Wegig Murwonugroho, S.Sn., M.Hum., and comprising Prof. Dr. Ir. Astri Rinanti, MT, Dr. Ir. Nurhikmah Budi Hartanti, MT, Dr. Winnie Septiani, ST, MSi, Dr. Sri Vandayuli Riorini, MM, and Thalia Sunaryo, ST, MM—initially participated in a pitching session for the 2022 Kedai Reka Matching Fund program. This platform was established by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology to connect the higher education community with the business sector.

The Universitas Trisakti team that submitted SI-MANTAN was ultimately selected by Kedai Reka as one of the nine best innovations and was subsequently showcased at the ‘Merdeka Innovation Summit 2023’. SI-MANTAN is a machine capable of detecting various plastic bottle material types—such as PET CW (Clear White), PET BM (Blue Magenta), or colored PET—automatically sorting them, and shredding them according to industrial specifications. Prof. Astri briefly explained the machine’s operation to the guests present who were viewing it.

“First, the bottle’s barcode is scanned and detected by the device; then, we separate the cap and place it in a designated spot because caps have a different material quality, while the bottle itself is placed in a designated area on the right. Later, when the green light turns on, the bottle enters the machine and is shredded. The result is shredded plastic ready for resale. However, if the yellow light turns on, it means the bottle type was not detected, and it will be shredded in a separate compartment,” explained Prof. Astri while showing the shredded plastic bottle waste.

Prof. Astri also added that SI-MANTAN will undergo further development, including the addition of a feature to track the number of shredded plastic bottles and award points as a reward. Universitas Trisakti has currently partnered with Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), so that anyone shredding plastic bottles in the SI-MANTAN machine will receive points corresponding to the number of bottles processed, credited to a card provided by BNI.

Ultimately, through this innovation, Universitas Trisakti hopes that SI-MANTAN can be commercialized and attract major investors for mass production. This is because the machine offers significant benefits, particularly in demonstrating environmental concern regarding pollution caused by plastic bottle waste.

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Source: TrisaktiNews