Dedicated to Environmental Conservation

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Ranitya Nurlita

Since her college days, Ranitya Nurlita has been engaged in environmental-conservation action. During the pandemic, she was touring Indonesia to assist many tourism-conscious groups. All her activities have to be oriented to environmental conservation.

Ranitya Nurlita, intimately called Lita, looked casual on Wednesday afternoon (18/5/2022). She was dressed in a dark-colored top combined with a black-and-yellow-woven wraparound from Nagekeo, East Nusa Tenggara. A pair of thong sandals was her choice for daily activities. “I’m used to it, wearing thongs is convenient, simpler. At Youth G20 meetings with peers wearing formal dress, I still prefer thong [sandals],” she laughingly said.

At the time she had just met with a notary public to register Waste Solution Hub (Waste Hub) as a legal entity. In 2018, Lita along with Siti Salamah, Mohammad Yusuf, M Arsad, Surya Satriando and Ade Brian set up Waste Hub as a system of integrated-waste management. They connected waste producers with waste banks as well as promoting the social independence of scavengers.

One of the activities of Waste Hub, initiated in 2019, was managing waste from certain events. One of them was Halal Expo Indonesia, which was visited by 29,000 people in total. For three days, Waste Hub could manage 5 tons of waste for sorting. The waste managed and sorted was screened on a monitor whose amount was continuously updated so that visitors were informed.

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For waste sorting, they mobilized six scavengers who adeptly sorted plastic trash, paper, cans and food containers. The scavengers were partners of Waste Hub who had long been guided by Siti. “Scavengers are smarter at sorting waste. We screened real-time data. So, waste was collected, sorted and directly included in the data, such as the amount of plastic waste in kilograms. I was working on it by using a laptop near the scavengers who did the sorting job,” related Lita.

Lita and Siti once initiated the collection of waste already sorted by residents in a housing complex. Regrettably, the activity only lasted for a month.

With experience in waste management at such events, they had drawn up a timetable for the same activities until 2020. Sadly, the Covid-19 pandemic prevailed. Waste Hub explored other activities including a webinar for training related to environmental conservation, such as eco-enzyme making and waste-sorting methods. Lita and Siti once initiated the collection of waste already sorted by residents in a housing complex. Regrettably, the activity only lasted for a month.

While Waste Hub still had no action, Lita decided to continue her master’s study at the School of Government and Public Policy Indonesia. Despite her college study, her commitment to environmental conservation went on by seeking partners. One partnership was with Greenerations for the distribution of staple food to scavengers.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Ranitya Nurlita

In October 2021, Waste Hub was the third-best finalist of Floratama Academy organized by the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry. In the program, Waste Solution Hub introduced tourism-waste management.

Touring Indonesia

In 2020, Lita visited many regions with the promotional ticket of an airline company, flying for six months to tour all over Indonesia, paying only Rp 1.5 million (US$100.16). “It was quite an opportunity; I could travel to Bali, Lombok, Aceh and Papua. I observed the situation. When Covid-19 cases were increasing, I just stayed in Bintaro; when they declined, I promptly started touring,” she said.

When she got the opportunity to visit Labuan Bajo as the finalist of Floratama in 2021, Lita toured East Nusa Tenggara. From Labuan Bajo, she proceeded to Ruteng, Bajawa, Larantuka, Lembata and as far as Kupang. In every region she visited, as usual Lita met with the local tourism-conscious group (pokdarwis). At first, she only listened to the group leader’s complaints, later she gave her input and helped reorder the group’s administration. “Nearly all the groups I visited had waste problems,” said Lita.

The program called Mackerel Project was carried out in Pandanan village, North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.

When she was in Lombok, Lita met with a fishermen’s community. Then a friend asked her to provide guidance for fishermen in making fish abon (fried shredded fish with spices) brand-named silak. The program was supported by Australia Alumni Grant Scheme 2021 totaling US$10,000 that was received in the name of her peer, Muhammad Fathahillah Zuhri. The program called Mackerel Project was carried out in Pandanan village, North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Ranitya Nurlita

Getting acquainted with environment-oriented communities in various regions has become one of Lita’s ways of expanding her network. Everything she handles is expected to help the growth of Waste Hub.

Lita’s interest in environmental issues has arisen since her study at IPB University. Beginning with a feeling of having chosen the wrong department, after being involved in many environmental activities, Lita realized that the path she had taken was correct.

Later, she was even more actively campaigning for environmental conservation.

In 2011, she became a voluntary activist and committee member of an environmental conservation program as well as a Kompas Muda volunteer for the creation of an equatorial garden at the School of Universe, Parung, Bogor. Later, she was even more actively campaigning for environmental conservation.

As a college student, she was also President of the HiLo Green Community and an executive of several environmental organizations at campus, national and international levels.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Ranitya Nurlita

With unflagging enthusiasm, she has followed various training courses in a number of countries like Turkey, Malaysia, China, Japan and the Unites States. As for her occupation, Lita also chooses the area she is engaged in. She has once joined Greenerations Foundation. Now she is a representative of OceanCycle in Indonesia with many jobs, including training in waste management for members of the public and identifying problematic plastic containers in Indonesia that cause recycling issues.

Ranitya Nurlita

Born:Bojonegoro, 25 August 1991

Education:

- State SD Kadipaten 2 Bojonegoro

- State SMP 1 Bojonegoro

- State SMA 1 Bojonegoro

- Department of Water Resources Management, Faculty of Fishery and Marine Science, IPB University (2010-2017)

- Postgraduate study, School of Government and Public Policy Indonesia (2020-present)

Occupation:

- Founder, Waste Solution Hub (2018-present)

- External Engagement Manager, Greenerations Foundation (2018-2019)

- Administrative Executive, EnerGaia Pte. Ltd. (2019-2020)

Achievements, including:

- Inspired Student, IPB 2015

- Alumni Leadership Impact Award 2015 (Study of the US Institute)

- Top 20 Youths for Arctic Indonesia 2015

- Top 50 World Muslimah 2014 (World Muslimah Foundation)

- President, HiLo Green Community

(This article was translated by Aris Prawira)