JAKARTA: Indonesia generates 144,562 tonnes of waste daily, but only a quarter is properly managed, leaving the vast majority unprocessed as most landfills still rely on open dumping, the Environment Ministry says.
With 75% of landfills still practising open dumping and fires breaking out at waste sites nationwide, the situation highlights the pressing need for more decisive action on a crisis long in the making.
“In 2026, we are focusing on strengthening governance, including ending open dumping, reactivating intermediate processing facilities, conducting public education and developing eco-friendly technologies,” Vinda Damayanti, the ministry’s deputy for waste, hazardous waste and hazardous and toxic materials reduction, told House of Representatives Commission XII, which oversees energy and mineral resources, on Monday.
Approximately 70% of the country’s 522 final disposal sites still rely on open dumping systems.
The government has formulated a 2026 to 2029 waste management road map under Presidential Regulation No 12/2025 to eliminate open dumping, strengthen processing facilities and expand services to the household level.
Indonesia continues to rely heavily on open dumping despite the 2008 Waste Management Law requiring regional governments to phase out the practice and adopt sanitary landfill systems.
In 2025, only about 110 of the country’s roughly 550 final disposal sites had proper waste treatment and disposal facilities.
During Monday’s meeting, the Environment Ministry also sought support from the National Disaster Management Agency to conduct water-bombing operations at the Putri Cempo landfill in Surakarta, Central Java, the only one of 23 fire-affected waste sites still requiring intervention.
The 23 sites span seven provinces from Sumatra to Bali.
The continued dependence on open dumping has been linked to a series of environmental and safety incidents in recent years.
In October 2023, a major fire broke out at the Rawa Kucing landfill in Tangerang, Banten, about 11km from the Jatiwaringin landfill.
The blaze burned through roughly 80% of the 34.8ha site before authorities brought it under control after five days.
Furthermore, thick smoke from the blaze drifted toward Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, located less than 3km away, reducing visibility and forcing authorities to divert flights. — The Jakarta Post/ANN
