<![CDATA[Urban waste management faces challenges not only in reducing waste volumes but also in the limited utilization of waste as a resource with added value. This condition highlights the importance of a circular economy approach that positions waste as a material that can be reused through innovation and community empowerment. This community engagement program aims to analyze the implementation of a community-based circular economy through the processing of dry leaf waste into environmentally friendly ink and to identify changes in the capacity and empowerment of the partner community following the implementation of the innovation. The program was conducted in collaboration with the Warisan Bumi Indonesia Community in Serang City through several stages, including problem identification, socialization, training, technology application, mentoring, monitoring, and evaluation. The innovations introduced included the sorting and drying of raw materials, natural color extraction, ink formulation, development of standard operating procedures for production, and digital-based record-keeping and reporting. Evaluation was conducted through observation, hands-on practice, pre-tests and post-tests, innovation implementation checklists, interviews, group discussions, and activity documentation. The results indicate a shift from the initial condition, in which dry leaf waste had not been transformed into derivative products and its management activities remained unstructured, toward a waste-processing practice that produces environmentally friendly ink, incorporates more standardized production stages, and is supported by digital record-keeping. The program also sought to strengthen the capacity of the community as a non-state actor in supporting the implementation of waste management policies and establishing sustainable circular economy practices. These findings demonstrate that the integration of technological innovation, community empowerment, and governance digitalization can serve as an alternative approach to strengthening the implementation of the circular economy at the local level. Keywords: circular economy; community empowerment; dry leaf waste; environmental innovation; digitalization.]]>
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