Sustainable approach to tempeh industrial wastewater management in Karawang

School of Environmental Science, Universitas Indonesia, Salemba, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: soesilo@indo.net.id

Abstract

Tempeh is a traditional soybean product from Indonesia. It is a high-protein food whose cost per unit is cheaper than any other animal protein sources. However, processes undertaken by tempeh industries will produce waste. To produce tempeh needs a lot of water used for boiling, soaking, leaching, and peeling the soybeans. The problem is that tempeh industries have not undertaken wastewater management properly, which potentially causes the quality of tempeh industrial wastewater to exceed the prescribed quality standard, having negative impact on both the environment and the people living around those industries. This research aims to describe tempeh industrial wastewater management. It is mixed-methods research employing qualitative and quantitative methods, especially through literature review, observation, interviews, and laboratory analysis. Research findings show that the alternative waste management suitable for tempeh industries is to utilize wastewater by considering environmental, social, and economic aspects. Such utilization is carried out by making liquid organic fertilizer and biogas from a mixture of household organic waste. These research findings refer to SDGs’ agenda, especially the goal no. 6 (six), i.e. to improve water quality by reducing pollution from wastewater.