The Entrepreneurship Student Creativity Program (PKM-K) Semarang State Polytechnic Team, made an idea to create new innovations of natural detergents made from hibiscus leaves as the main raw material, which is environmentally friendly, as a solution to the rise of chemical detergents which, when used continuously
will damage the environment and is not good for human health. Waru leaf is a type of plant whose benefits are rarely known by the public, especially the people of the Ngawi area which have a large population of these plants.
It is known that waru leaves contain high active substances in the form of saponins, flavonoids, polyphenols, and tannins. Saponins consist of a steroid or triterpenoid aglycone (sapongenin) linked to one or more oligosaccharide groups. The presence of polar (sugar) and nonpolar groups
(steroids or triterpenes) make the sponges have a strong active surface providing many benefits. This phytochemical is so called because it has the ability to form a soap-like foam which is stable in aqueous solution. Waru detergent has advantages over
with soap or other synthetic detergents, that is, besides being more ecological and economical, hibiscus leaf waste can be decomposed by nature and the level of water pollution is almost non-existent. Washing water can be used to water plants, which will make the plants fertile.
Knowing the increasing use of chemical detergents by the public or industry, such as Alkyl Bnezene Sulphonate compounds, which are one of the most widely used surfactants in the form of organic compounds with long and branched hydrocarbon chains with a benzene ring at the end. This material is used to make it easier to bind dirt and cause foam, of course the foam produced by detergents has an adverse impact on the environment. This increases the potential for environmental pollution which
caused by the residual discharge from the chemical detergent automatically rises. As a result, it can cause health problems for humans such as skin irritation, cause cataracts, and reduce dissolved oxygen levels in water.
The team consists of Putri Ayuk Setyanigrum (D3- Business Administration), Eka Alrin (D4- Financial Analysis), Nisa Sindiani (D4- Applied Business Management), Rohadatul Aisy (D3-Business Administration) and Sisilia Tamunaroh (D4- Financial Analysis) with supervising lecturer Drs. Pandiya M.pd
sparked an innovation of environmentally friendly detergent that is healthy from hibiscus leaves, hoping that it can be realized by the people of Indonesia, especially the people of the Ngawi area, in addition to protecting the environment. This innovation can be used as a promising business opportunity. "This activity will also invite the community to carry out GO-GREEN replanting of hibiscus leaves to be prepared to become a big business in the future," said Putri Ayuk Setyaningrum as the head of the PKM-K team.