Latihan: Bahasa Inggris SMA Dasar 2

Text 4: Students turn used cooking oil into soap

SUNGAI REJO — A group of vocational school students in Sungai Rejo has found a way to stop used cooking oil from polluting the town's drains. Since March, twelve students from the chemistry club of SMK Bakti Nusa have been collecting used oil from food stalls and households and turning it into laundry soap.

The idea came after the town's water office reported that grease was blocking drains in the market area. "Many food sellers poured their old oil into the sink because they did not know what else to do with it," said Wulan, 17, the club leader.

Every Saturday, the students collect the oil in plastic jerry cans. They filter it, mix it with other ingredients under the supervision of their chemistry teacher, and pour the mixture into moulds. After four weeks of drying, the soap is ready to use. So far, the club has collected about 900 litres of oil and produced more than 3,000 bars of soap.

The soap is sold at the school cooperative for Rp5,000 a bar, and part of the money is used to buy safety goggles and gloves for the club. Several food sellers now receive soap in exchange for their oil.

The club hopes to work with two more schools next year, but Wulan admits that the biggest challenge is the drying time. "We need more space to store the soap while it dries," she said.