Results of the Kalibaru Hub Project: United Collaborative Efforts for Better Local Lives

UCLG ASPAC, under the framework of the Kalibaru Hub Project, marked strong collaborative efforts among various stakeholders uniting force for improved economic development of local people in Kalibaru area, Northern side of Jakarta. UCLG ASPAC engaged development institutions, clean action organisations, responsible waste management enterprises, entrepreneurs, conservation agencies, and other like-minded organisations to engage with and enhance the capacity of local people, striving for a better economy and conserving the environment. Throughout 2024, in one year programme implementation, the project documented a tremendous journey of knowledge transfer and capacity building set as the foundation for local people to move forward better.

Target:

Local people in Kalibaru Area that upcycle green mussel waste into cutting-edge environmentally friendly products for their livelihood.

End-to-end knowledge transfer:

  • Workshop on Identification and Diversification of Green Mussel Waste Products in Kalibaru
  • Workshop on Green Mussel Restoration
  • Production Management Training Session
  • Business Management Training Session
  • Benchmarking Session
  • Branding and Product Packaging Training Session
  • Promotion and Marketing Training Sessions
  • Networking and Market/Partner Engagement Session

Results:

  • Cangkring (Cangkang Kering/dry shell) Community now has an official e-commerce account and a more structured order management system.
  • Squat toilets produced by the Cangkring Community have become the first pilot project, used by households in the Kalibaru area supported by the oil-related company named PT Migas Hulu Jabar ONWJ.
  • Knowledge transfer and training sessions in marketing, branding, promotion, product development, etc. also inspired local community groups working in different area. Inclusivity and balance were also reflected in the gender composition of the community group as project beneficiary: 55.6% men and 44.4% women (Cangkring Community, most representative beneficiary).

Feedback:

66.7% of participants were highly satisfied and felt confident in applying knowledge and skills gained during training to their daily work (based on a survey conducted in 2024).

Laboratory Test Results for Paving Blocks by the Cangkring Group

The Kalibaru Hub Project also supported the quality testing of paving blocks produced by the Cangkring Community to ensure the product’s quality and safety. The first laboratory testing was conducted in 2023 in collaboration with Politeknik Kesehatan (Poltekes) II Jakarta, and the second testing was conducted in Bandung in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry in 2024.

Tested Components

  1. Physical Quality:
    • Appearance: All products met standard visual criteria.
    • Thickness: vary.
  2. Compressive Strength:
    • Product grades: vary (C, D, and intermediate levels).
  3. Abrasion Resistance:
    • Mostly met Grade A and C categories.
  4. Water Absorption:
    • Mostly met Grade B standard.
  5. Resistance to Sodium Sulfate:
    • Passed, demonstrating high durability against salt exposure.

Conclusion
The 2024 laboratory test results indicate that the paving blocks produced by the Cangkring Community have a reasonably good and competitive quality, even though improvements to achieve standard thickness and water absorption are needed to achieve higher quality of products.