PERSEPSI MASYARAKAT TERHADAP LIMBAH PABRIK KELAPA SAWIT DI DESA SINAR BANTEN KECAMATAN BEKRI KABUPATEN LAMPUNG TENGAH

Abstract

The plantation subsector plays an important role in Indonesia’s economy, particularly the palm oil industry which contributes significantly to national income and employment while generating substantial waste. Increasing crude palm oil production has raised concerns regarding the environmental, social, and economic impacts of palm oil mill waste on communities surrounding processing facilities. This study analyzes community perceptions of waste generated by Palm Oil Mill XYZ in Sinar Banten Village, Bekri Subdistrict, Central Lampung Regency. A survey method was employed using simple random sampling to select 60 households from a population of 145 households. Primary data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and observation, while secondary data were obtained from related institutions and company reports. Data were analyzed descriptively using interval class categorization. The results show that community perceptions of palm oil mill waste management fall within the moderate to high category. Environmental (72.07 percent) and social aspects (70.27 percent) received the highest assessments, indicating relatively controlled environmental impacts and harmonious relations between the company and the community. Meanwhile, the economic aspect (63.40 percent) received lower scores, suggesting that economic benefits are not yet widely perceived by local residents. These findings emphasize the importance of improving transparency in waste management, strengthening community participation, and developing waste-based empowerment programs to support sustainable industrial-community relations.

Keywords: community perception, environmental sustainability, palm oil mill, social impact, waste management