Advancing Local Empowerment in Kampung Indonesia, Nonthaburi, Thailand Through in Valorization of Used Cooking Oil into Floor Cleaning Solutions

Abstract

This community service program was conducted in Kampung Indonesia, Nonthaburi, Thailand, a diaspora community with active household and small scale culinary activities that generate a considerable amount of used cooking oil. Field observations and daily consumption estimates indicate that this waste oil has not been utilized optimally; instead, it is often reused excessively or disposed of directly into the environment, posing potential health risks and environmental pollution. The main issues identified include limited public awareness of the hazards associated with repeated use of used cooking oil and a lack of knowledge and skills to convert it into value added products. Therefore, this program aimed to enhance community awareness and capacity to process used cooking oil into safe and economically valuable floor cleaning products. The methods applied included educational sessions on the properties and impacts of used cooking oil, introduction to the required tools and materials, and hands on training covering step-by-step processing techniques. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in participants’ understanding and practical skills, as well as strong enthusiasm to independently produce the cleaning product. In conclusion, this initiative effectively empowered the community by transforming household waste into useful products, while also contributing to environmental sustainability and local economic development