RRI.CO.ID, Meulaboh - A public health student from West Aceh has captured international recognition for environmental innovation after developing a method to turn household waste into functional sanitation soap, capturing a podium finish at a prominent regional youth conference.

The eco-friendly scientific breakthrough won the bronze medal at the 4th International Youth Conference (IYC) 2026, held across Malaysia and Singapore. By engineering a high-value hygiene product from discarded organic waste, the young innovator demonstrated a practical blueprint for localized circular economies that simultaneously tackle waste management crises and rural public health challenges.

The prestigious regional competition was organized by the Setara Prisma Nusantara Institute (Nusantara Muda) in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Student Association and the Electrical & Electronic Engineering department of Nanyang Technological University. This year’s conference drew 150 elite delegates representing 10 countries worldwide.

Nur Hazizah, a student at the Public Health Study Program under the Faculty of Health Sciences at Teuku Umar University (UTU) in Meulaboh, admitted that the rigorous international selection made the victory deeply rewarding.

"I am very happy and grateful to be able to win this award amidst tight competition with hundreds of participants from various countries," Hazizah said in a statement received in Meulaboh on Monday night, July 13, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Hazizah explained that her drive to convert raw waste into organic soap stemmed from her personal anxiety regarding massive waste accumulations in residential areas, which directly deteriorate human health and contaminate local drainage systems. Through this innovation, she set out to prove that low-value household waste could be systematically upcycled into beneficial sanitation products that improve community hygiene while actively safeguarding vulnerable ecosystems.

During her formal defense before an international panel of judges, Hazizah presented concrete, scalable solutions designed to reduce municipal waste volumes while lowering the transmission of diseases caused by unmanaged landfills.

The judging panel noted that the public health student's formulation aligns closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, the project advances SDG Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and Goal 13 (Climate Action).

Overwhelmed with emotion following the official medal announcements, the young researcher reiterated her appreciation for the academic backing that propelled her to the regional stage. "I am very happy and grateful to be able to win this award," she expressed simply.

The university administration plans to help Hazizah register a patent for the formulation and collaborate with local micro-businesses in West Aceh to test the feasibility of small-scale commercial production, potentially introducing a sustainable, community-made soap to the provincial market. ***