InfoSAWIT, BOGOR – Palm oil waste, long considered a low-value byproduct, has now been transformed into a high-value product. Three students from the Physics Department at IPB University have proven that oil palm trunks (OPT) and empty fruit bunches (EFB) are not just production leftovers but rather the raw materials of the future.
They created TrunkTone, an innovative sound-absorbing material that won first place and Best Presentation at the prestigious International Oil Palm Trunk Product Design Competition 2025. The competition, held at the IPB International Convention Center on Tuesday (8/2/2025), was attended by 39 teams from universities worldwide.
TrunkTone: Original, Market-Ready, and Visionary
The team, consisting of Annisa Nur Azahra, Pristy Tasya Nabila, and Salsabilla Permata Bayah, gave a stunning presentation to the panel of judges. Under the guidance of Dr. Yessie Widya Sari, they presented an idea that was deemed the most original, market-ready, and groundbreaking.
"We chose TrunkTone because of its originality, its market-readiness, and its groundbreaking nature," said one of the judges, Faristama Aryasa, CEO of Katalis.co, as quoted by InfoSAWIT from Radar Bogor on Sunday (9/7/2025).
In a similar vein, Prof. Agung Nugroho from Lambung Mangkurat University noted that TrunkTone's strength lies in its well-developed design, which takes into account the physical properties of OPT and EFB.
The competition was part of the SustainPalm initiative, an Indonesia-Netherlands consortium involving Wageningen University & Research, Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, IPB University, and Lambung Mangkurat University. Its goal is clear: to push the palm oil industry toward a more circular and environmentally friendly system.
Support also came from the government. Lila Bahktiar, Director of Forest and Plantation Products Industry at the Ministry of Industry, hailed TrunkTone as concrete proof that palm oil waste can be processed into high-value products. "This product has great potential for commercialization in a short period. Congratulations and success to TrunkTone," she said.
Not just an idea, the TrunkTone prototype has already gone through testing. The results showed that the material can reduce sound transmission by up to 13 dB with an absorption coefficient of 0.8—a figure that meets national standards for acoustic dampeners.
With this performance, TrunkTone has a significant chance of entering the building materials market while also addressing the demand for eco-friendly products.
The achievements of IPB students don't stop there. Another innovation from two students, Shakila Agustin and Abimanyu Pratama, made it to the finals with Palmlight—a night light made from a palm oil trunk.
This success demonstrates the creativity of Indonesia's young generation in turning challenges into opportunities. From waste often seen as a problem, a product is born that promises a greener and more sustainable future. (T2)
