My Trash Is My Responsibility: The Development Economics Study Program Educates on Processing Used Cooking Oil into Aromatherapy Candles

The Development Economics Study Program at the Faculty of Economics and Business at Bung Hatta University (UB) once again demonstrated its commitment to environmental conservation through a Community Service (PKM) activity involving lecturers and students. The activity, themed "My Trash Is My Responsibility," focused on educating students about processing used cooking oil into aromatherapy candles to raise public awareness about managing household waste creatively and economically.

In this activity, participants were introduced to the process of using used cooking oil—generally considered waste—to make innovative products such as aromatherapy candles. In addition to reducing the potential for environmental pollution, this processing also opens up new business opportunities that can increase community income.

This activity is part of the implementation of the Natural Resources and Environmental Economics course taught by Helmawati, S.E.,M.Si. Through this hands-on experience, students are expected to gain not only theoretical knowledge but also an understanding of the importance of environmental sustainability in their daily lives.

The program received a positive response from the participants. They felt they gained useful new knowledge, particularly in using household waste to make useful products. "We hope this activity can be the first step in changing behavior toward a more environmentally friendly lifestyle," said the supervising lecturer.

Through collaboration between lecturers, students, and the community, this PKM activity is expected to have a sustainable impact in creating a cleaner, healthier, and more productive environment.