Indonesia Landfill Critically Full, Six Months Capacity Left

The Sarimukti landfill in West Bandung Regency, West Java, is facing a critical situation, with projections indicating it can only operate for another six months. This waste disposal site for the Bandung Raya region is nearing its capacity limit, a stark contrast to the initial detailed engineering design which estimated a two-year lifespan for the expanded zone.

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The Governor suggests that regencies and cities make extra efforts. If we only rely on Sarimukti, the evidence shows it can only last until October 2026. So, efforts must be made to reduce waste from the source.

Arief Perdana, Head of the Regional Waste Management Technical Unit at the West Java Environmental Agency, stated that according to Governor Dedi Mulyadi's instructions, the cities of Bandung and Cimahi, along with Bandung and West Bandung Regencies, must maximize waste management within their respective areas. "The Governor suggests that regencies and cities make extra efforts. If we only rely on Sarimukti, the evidence shows it can only last until October 2026. So, efforts must be made to reduce waste from the source," Arief explained.

The agency has prepared measures to anticipate the landfill's full capacity after October, including the potential reuse of deactivated zones 3 and 4. However, the execution of these plans is contingent on budget availability. "Regarding the next steps, we have actually prepared several plans. But their implementation depends on budget availability. We have shifted some budgets to focus on Sarimukti," Arief said.

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Regarding the next steps, we have actually prepared several plans. But their implementation depends on budget availability. We have shifted some budgets to focus on Sarimukti.

Despite these contingency plans, Arief urged the Bandung Raya region not to solely depend on the critically endangered Sarimukti landfill. Visually, zone 5, which spans 6.3 hectares, is nearly full. "If you ask about Sarimukti's current condition, visually it is indeed almost full. Although numerically it might only be around 30 to 40 percent full, due to suboptimal compaction factors, visually it already appears 90 percent full," he revealed.

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If you ask about Sarimukti's current condition, visually it is indeed almost full. Although numerically it might only be around 30 to 40 percent full, due to suboptimal compaction factors, visually it already appears 90 percent full.