Jakarta, CNN Indonesia - Eco enzyme is starting to be used as a way to clean rivers in Indonesia from household to industrial waste. Eco enzyme is believed to be able to break down waste which is bad for the sustainability of life in the river.

Eco enzyme, also known as garbage enzyme, is claimed to be a versatile liquid produced from fermentation of organic waste.

Launching Zero Waste Indonesia (ZWID), the first online-based community in Indonesia that invites Indonesians to live a zero waste lifestyle, said that eco enzyme was first introduced by Rosukon Poompanvong who is the founder of the Thai Organic Agriculture Association.

Poompanvong's idea is to process enzymes from organic waste which are usually thrown into the trash can as organic cleaners.

In short, eco enzyme is the result of fermentation of organic kitchen waste such as fruit and vegetable pulp, sugar (brown sugar, brown sugar, or cane sugar), and water. It is dark brown in color and has a strong sweet and sour fermented aroma.

Eco Enzyme is claimed to be able to release ozone gas (03) which can reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere which traps heat in clouds. Thus, the liquid will reduce the greenhouse effect and global warming.

Eco enzymes also convert ammonia to nitrate (NO3), a natural hormone and nutrient for plants. In addition, the liquid can convert CO2 into carbonate (CO3) which is beneficial for marine plants and marine life.

Another advantage of eco enzyme is that it helps natural cycles, such as facilitating plant growth (as fertilizer), treating soil, and also cleaning polluted water.

Because they are natural and free from chemicals, eco enzymes are easily broken down and harmless to humans and the environment.

Launching waste4change, eco enzyme has disinfectant properties because it contains alcohol and or acetic acid. Alcohol and / or acetic acid is produced by bacterial metabolic processes which are naturally present in fruit or vegetable residues.

Converting organic waste into eco enzyme is important to reduce the amount of organic waste that has accumulated in the TPA. A study by Sustainable Waste Indonesia found that as much as 60 percent of the total waste produced in Indonesia is organic waste.

However, of the total waste produced (organic and non-organic), only 7.5 percent is processed. The rest is piled up, burned, ignored, and as much as 69 percent is transported to the TPA.

During the fermentation process, the enzymes of microorganisms actively process energy sources. The results of the study found that eco enzyme contains amylase, protease and lipase activities which can be used to process milk waste which contains carbohydrates, protein and fat to be broken down by these enzymes.

How to make Eco Enzyme
How to make eco enzyme is very simple. You only need to use vegetable or fruit waste, brown sugar, water, and an airtight container.

After the ingredients are available, put vegetable or fruit waste, brown sugar, and water into an airtight container. The ratio is 10 for water, 3 for fruit / vegetable waste, 1 for brown sugar.

Once mixed, stir the ingredients. Choose an airtight plastic container like a drink bottle or paint bucket so that the container doesn't explode when gas builds up.

After the stirring is complete, cover the container until it is airtight and leave it for 3 months in a protected place. During the early stages of fermentation, you are asked to open the container once a week to release trapped gas and prevent the container from exploding.

After 3 months, successful eco enzymes will have a dark brown color with a vinegar odor. If the liquid is black, add more sugar to continue the fermentation process. Just ignore it if there are worms and insects because they will break down through the process.

Filter the liquid from the remaining organic waste and store in any container for use. Meanwhile, organic waste residue can be used as fertilizer.

As a side note, make sure you only use raw fruit and vegetable pieces for processing to produce eco enzyme. This is because fermentation that produces alcohol and acetic acid with disinfectant properties only applies to vegetable materials because of the carbohydrate (sugar) content in them.

The process of decomposing and fermenting meat is known to be different from plants. Meat can rot quickly and release pathogens at unregulated temperatures.