Concerned About Food Waste, Thursina IIBS Students Won Gold with Rice Waste Hand Sanitizer
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to maintain the hygiene and cleanliness of our hands as a way to protect ourselves from the virus and prevent further spread. Thus, the idea of fermenting leftover rice to create ethanol for hand sanitizer emerged as an innovative solution. The distillation process of fermented rice produced ethanol, which served as the basis for making the hand sanitizer. Isopropyl alcohol was subsequently added to achieve the desired volume.
The result was a hand sanitizer gel with a pH range of 7.6 to 7.9. Despite slight deviations from the optimal ethanol concentration, user feedback remained positive, emphasizing its convenience and effectiveness.
“This research is not just a way to address food waste; it also produced a practical product to face the pandemic and the growing concern about our environment,” added Kafi.
This achievement proved that the innovation of Thursina IIBS students not only offered a solution for existing problems but also earned them recognition at the international level.