Communication Studies lecturer at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Dr. Rika Lusri Virga, launched a website platform called “GenHi” (short for Generasi Hijau, or Green Generation) in Purwokinanti Village, Pakualaman, Yogyakarta City, on Friday, August 14, 2026. The innovation addresses not only the limited digital literacy among waste bank managers but also serves as a hub for integrating local waste bank networks.

Developed through the Batch 120 Thematic Community Service Program (KKN), this digital information and communication system is designed to strengthen the exchange of information between waste banks, facilitate online customer registration, and open up opportunities for developing a circular economy within the community.

Rika, who also serves as a Field Supervising Lecturer (DPL) for UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta's KKN program, explained that the GenHi platform grew out of in-depth research that began late last year and has undergone two months of trial testing.

“This year's KKN follows a new concept from UIN Sunan Kalijaga's LPPM (Institute for Research and Community Service): a sustainable KKN model. Students will be placed at the same location for three consecutive years, with no change in field supervisor or core work program,” Rika said after the launch event on Friday, August 14, 2026.

Rika added that Purwokinanti Village was chosen because it serves as a pilot project for independent waste management run by the Yogyakarta City Government, with an active waste bank in every neighborhood unit (RW). However, observations showed that the network and communication flow between units had not yet been optimally connected.

“Weighing and collection have been running fine, but innovations at each unit haven't been shared widely. Some units excel at processing used cooking oil; others are skilled at making packaging crafts. Through GenHi, managers can share information and learn from each other's best practices, all on one platform,” Rika explained.

The GenHi website does not just connect managers to one another; it also allows the wider public to register as customers digitally, without being limited to their own RW. As an initial phase, this pilot project involves 15 waste banks that operate on a regular basis in the area.

The platform has been welcomed positively by grassroots-level managers who have long faced challenges with technology. Chair of the Purwokinanti Village Waste Bank Forum, Wiwik Nur Yuni, acknowledged that IT capacity remains a major challenge for local volunteers.

“Most of our managers are mothers who are not very tech-savvy. But hopefully, with support from these KKN students, we can all learn together and improve our management capacity,” Wiwik said.

Similar support was voiced by the Chair of the Pakualaman District Waste Bank Forum, Eni Sulistiyawati. According to her, using technology aligns with the Yogyakarta City Government's goal of building a waste management system that is structured, measurable, and sustainable.

“This technology outreach is very useful, because not every one of our waste banks has strong IT skills. We hope the waste bank units in Purwokinanti can grow together through the use of this technology,” Eni said in closing.

Through the network integration provided by the GenHi platform and intensive mentoring from KKN students, this push to strengthen digital communication is expected to ease the operational burden on managers while also boosting the added economic value of the circular economy for the people of Yogyakarta. (humassk)