Semarang, 16 July 2025 — Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP), through its SDGs Center, officially participated in the first online session of the Circular Innovation Lab, hosted by Circular Cities Asia. Held on Wednesday, July 16th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (GMT+7), this interactive training introduced students to problem identification methods using circular economy principles.
Titled “Problem Identification with a Circular Lens”, the session provided participants with a comprehensive overview of circular economy fundamentals, CCA’s circular innovation methodology, and tools to analyze and understand local waste challenges. The session encouraged students to reflect on the most pressing waste-related issues in their communities before the event through a pre-session form.
The training was structured into four main components: an introductory input on problem identification techniques, a group activity to identify a local waste issue, an activity debrief to share findings, and a homework task to complete the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Worksheet.
One student from Team 1 shared their learning experience, highlighting three major waste challenges in their area:
- Landfill overcapacity
- Widespread use of open burning for plastic waste
- Unmanaged inorganic waste in markets, rivers, and public spaces
Together with their group, the student explored the LCA of plastic waste in the beauty sector. In the simulation, they assessed the “Marketing & Sales” and “End of Use” stages of the plastic product lifecycle. This included analysis of required inputs, stakeholders involved, types of waste generated, challenges to intervention, and environmental impacts—ranging from marine life damage to soil degradation.
The session empowered students to think systemically, understand waste generation at various life cycle stages, and uncover root causes that hinder sustainable waste solutions. The group’s insights revealed that both technological limitations and behavioral factors contribute to ongoing waste mismanagement, especially in the packaging and end-of-use phases.
As the Circular Innovation Lab progresses, the second online session—titled “Ideating Circular Solutions with Viable Financial Models”—will be held on July 22nd, 2025. In this session, students will explore ideation tools and real-world examples to brainstorm sustainable and scalable circular business solutions for their identified waste issues.
With strong engagement from students and real-life application of circular design thinking, UNDIP’s participation in the Circular Innovation Lab reflects its growing commitment to advancing sustainability and innovation in higher education.
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