Sticks from Pinewood Wast

KOMPAS/MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO

Pelda Margiyono (right) dan Yuli Handayani

The waste of pinewood and sengon (Chinese albizia) have been turned into valuable objects in the hands of Adj. Sec. Lt. Margiyono. Not only that, Margiyono also involved more than 500 Purbalingga residents to make ice cream sticks. Residents have slowly generated additional income outside their primary work as farmers.

"This wood waste used to be only burned and caused pollution," said Adj. Sec. Lt. Margiyono, 49, on Wednesday (6/11/2019), in Purbalingga, Central Java. Margiyono works as a non-commissioned officer of the village alias Babinsa in Purbalingga.

Around the year 2008, many residents protested the existence of a timber factory in their area. The factory management was confused looking for a solution. Margiyono, who at that time was a Babinsa at Pegandekan village, Kemangkon district, Purbalingga, was looking for ways to make use of the waste.

One day, Margiyono and his family went to the Wage Market in Purwokerto and saw products from processed wood being sold in one of the shops. The processed wood, among others, was in the form of ice cream sticks. Later, he tried to make ice cream sticks using simple tools. "At first, I only use a cutter, a ruler and a glass sheet [on which the wood is cut]," he said.

Supported by his wife, Yuli Handayani, 45, Margiyono made ice cream sticks and sold them in Purbalingga and Purwokerto. At that time, the couple made up to three sacks of ice cream sticks. Due to increasing demand, Margiyono then embraced around 30 villagers to jointly make ice cream sticks. "A year later we made tools for cutting and splitting wood for ice cream sticks," he said.

KOMPAS/WILIBRORDUS MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO

Pelda Margiyono

With the help of Rahmat, a carpenter in Purbalingga, they created a traditional cutting and chopping tool called "kuda lumping". Shaped like a horse and can be ridden. Actually the basis of this tool is a long chair. Then on one side, it is equipped with a board that resembles a horse\'s head. It is on this board that there is a razor blade complete with its trajectory so that a sheet of wood waste that is run over it can immediately form an ice cream stick with the results of four sticks at a time.

One stick has a length of 12 cm, a width of 1 cm, and thickness varies from 0.2 millimeters to 1.2 millimeters.

For almost 10 years, this stick-making business has embraced around 500 residents of the Pegandekan, Kemangkon and Kejobong villages. Residents make sticks in their homes and after they are collected, they are handed over to the neighbourhood unit (RT) head as an area coordinator. On each plate of ice cream sticks, residents get a pay of Rp 100.

"At first many people snickered and underestimated the Rp 100 pay," he said.

Factory sells the waste

Even the wood waste in the form of thin sheets was then sold by the factory at a price of Rp 700,000 per truck. This work is a side job of locals, who are mostly farmers and farm laborers. "Those who used to spend time gossiping, now can appreciate their time by making ice cream sticks. At home, family members are also getting closer because at night they can chat," said Margiyono.

Every week Margiyono and the residents can produce a truck of sticks or at least 6.5 million pieces of stick. Each truck contains 660 boxes. One box contains 20 packs. Each pack contains 500 pieces. To produce one truck of sticks, it needs four trucks of wood waste. "A truck of ice cream sticks are sold for Rp 33 million," he said.

The distribution of ice cream sticks from Purbalingga reaches several cities, such as Surabaya, Jakarta, Cirebon and Lombok. The raw materials are not only from wood waste in Purbalingga, but also from Belik in Pemalang and Wonogiri regencies. "The problem is in the raw material. The production capacity requires up to four trucks of wood waste, but only one truck per day comes," he said.

Yuli, his wife, also faithfully accompanies her husband. She helped dealing with the marketing section and monitor packaging.

The process is easy. It is worth it. I get additional income up to Rp 120,000 a week.

Residents get additional income starting from Rp 500,000 to Rp 1 million a month. Amini, 51, a mother of five children, for example, who makes cakes from morning to afternoon, can make ice cream sticks in the afternoon or evening. Within a week, she can make around 1,200 sticks "The process is easy. It is worth it. I get additional income up to Rp 120,000 a week," said Amini, whose husband worked as a farmer.

Not only creating jobs and improving the livelihood of residents, the business of making ice cream sticks that was initiated by Margiyono also had a positive impact on social life. "In the past, young people often went out for street racing. Perhaps, they see me going back and forth in the village and they might be embarrassed. Then there are those who helped producing sticks and loading boxes of sticks," said Margiyono.

KOMPAS/MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO

Pelda Margiyonoa (left) and  Yuli Handayani

Pelda Margiyono

Born: Purworejo, 16 October 1970

Assignment:

- 1991 joined the army and was assigned to East Timor under 401 Raider Group

- 1992 Batalyon 406 Purbalingga Candra Kusuma for seven years (partly with assignment in Maluku)

- 2000-present in Kodim 0702 Purbalingga

Yuli Handayani

Born: Solo, 9 July 1974