<![CDATA[The Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) generates a substantial amount of organic kitchen waste that may cause environmental problems if not properly managed. This community service program aimed to improve community knowledge, skills, and environmental awareness in managing organic waste through eco-enzyme production and its utilization as an environmentally friendly dishwashing liquid. The program employed a Participatory-Based Community Development (PBCD) approach consisting of needs assessment, participatory planning, program socialization, hands-on training in eco-enzyme and dishwashing liquid production, mentoring, and evaluation. Program effectiveness was evaluated using a pre-test and post-test design involving 28 participants. The results demonstrated improvements across all measured aspects. The average knowledge score increased from 2.900 to 4.003, skills from 2.953 to 3.810, and environmental attitudes and awareness from 3.013 to 3.960. Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores (p < 0.001), with an N-Gain value of 0.474 and a Cohen’s d effect size of 5.64. The program successfully strengthened community capacity in managing organic waste through the implementation of Zero Waste principles while producing environmentally friendly products with potential economic value. The initiative also offers a replicable model for sustainable organic waste management in MBG implementation areas and other community settings.]]>
