Sustainable Skill Development Through Ecoprinting Based on Organic Material Residues on Textile Media

Abstract

The textile industry and urban households face increasing pressure to adopt sustainable practices to mitigate environmental impacts. This research examines the development of sustainable applied skills through organic waste-based ecoprinting within a community education framework. Using a qualitative approach with Participatory Action Research (PAR) design, the study involved twenty members of the Pemberdayaan Kesejahteraan Keluarga (PKK) women's group in Surabaya. The intervention utilized a workshop-based learning model integrating organic kitchen residuals, such as onion skins and turmeric, as natural dyes for textile media. Data were collected through direct observation, product quality assessments, and semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal a transformative improvement in participants' technical competencies, specifically in natural mordanting and ecoprinting techniques. Beyond skill acquisition, the reuse of organic waste elevated environmental literacy and fostered a sustainable mindset toward household waste management. This study concludes that waste-to-art pedagogy is an effective strategy for community empowerment, bridging environmental sustainability with non-formal applied education. The results highlight how community-based learning can drive the circular economy by transforming domestic by-products into high-value creative assets, ensuring long-term resilience for urban communities.