<![CDATA[The Saguling Gerbang Lestari is a program initiated by PT PLN Indonesia Power UBP (Power Generation Business Unit) Saguling in 2024 to utilize water hyacinth from the Saguling Reservoir as raw material for a growing medium or baglog used in straw mushroom cultivation. This program aims to reduce the population of the invasive water hyacinth while increasing the value of waste through productive economic activities carried out by the community. Program implementation involved mentoring one community group responsible for managing 16 mushroom cultivation houses. Based on satellite imagery, the Saguling Gerbang Lestari Program significantly reduced the area of water hyacinth coverage in the Saguling Reservoir between 2024 and 2026, from 435 ha in 2024 to 428.5 ha in 2025, down to 282 ha in 2026. As a result, the amount of water hyacinth successfully processed into baglogs reached 144,000 kg in 2024, 230,000 kg in 2025, and 208,000 kg by mid-2026. The use of these baglogs yielded straw mushroom production of 5,586 kg with a net profit of Rp143,580,000 in 2024, rising to 13,328 kg and Rp375,840,000 in 2025, and reaching 11,056 kg with a profit of Rp315,680,000 by mid-2026. These results indicate that the use of water hyacinth as a straw mushroom growing medium can serve as one approach to controlling invasive plants while also providing economic benefits to the community. The Saguling Gerbang Lestari program has the potential to support the implementation of a circular economy by transforming waste into products that are both useful and possess economic value.]]>
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