Utilization of Post-Harvest Pineapple Leaf Waste as Yarn Making Material in Kediri Regency

Indonesia is one of the largest pineapple producing countries in the world with a total production of 1.3 million tons per year. It is known that currently, from pineapple cultivation, only pineapples are used for fruit, whereas other parts of the pineapple plant can also be used, one of which is pineapple leaves. Pineapple leaves can be used as pineapple fiber which can be converted into various crafts, one of which is yarn.
One of the pineapple producers in East Java is located in Satak Village, Puncu District, which is on the slopes of Kelud Mountain with an area of 17705 hectares owned. People in Satak Village usually only use pineapples for sale and pineapple waste is widely discarded and a small portion is used for animal feed.
The existence of this situation makes the Pengabdian Masyarakat Team and Kuliah Kerja Nyata (KKN) ITS implement a pineapple separator machine or commonly called a mechanical extractor tool to help utilize pineapple waste in processing. The technology was designed by the Service Team, which was guided by Prof. Dr. Ir. Soeprijanto, M.Si from the Department of Industrial Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Vocational ITS. With this mechanical extractor device, it can help the community to separate pineapple fiber from old leaves to produce pineapple fiber. This activity was carried out with 12 ITS students.
The activity which is part of the Center for Appropriate Technology Studies program, Directorate of Research and Community Service or DRPM, in addition to providing benefits of pineapple leaf processing which can help improve the economy and business potential for rural communities, but also provides educational advice for youth groups in Salak village about the importance of utilizing the potential of leaves. This safe pineapple has not been exploited. For pineapple, it is available with the tools and education provided can help the Satak community in optimizing the use of the plant so that no part is wasted to throw away.