<![CDATA[Used cooking oil poses significant environmental and public health risks when improperly disposed of or excessively reused, particularly given national consumption rates of 9.5 kg per capita annually. This community empowerment initiative aimed to improve residents' waste management knowledge and technical skills in Krajan Village, Pasuruan Regency, by converting waste cooking oil into value-added aromatherapy candles. Using a Community-Based Approach (CBA), the program engaged 60 initial survey respondents and provided intensive training to 20 housewives, integrating lemongrass-based oil purification with hands-on candle-making. The evaluation demonstrated high engagement and substantial capacity building: mean knowledge scores increased significantly from 49.4 (pre-test) to 82.5 (post-test). At the same time, practical skills averaged 3.43 out of 4.00, placing participants in the independent category. Furthermore, attendance reached 100%, with 80% of participants successfully demonstrating independent product replication. All participants produced functional aromatherapy candles, confirming the technical feasibility of household-level recycling. In conclusion, transforming waste cooking oil into aromatherapy candles is an effective empowerment strategy that fosters environmental sustainability while developing local creative economic potential. To ensure long-term sustainability, subsequent mentoring should focus on product packaging, production cost analysis, and digital marketing strategies to facilitate the transition toward viable micro-enterprises.]]>
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