Indonesia Targets End of Open Dumping to Tackle Waste Crisis

Indonesia's Ministry of Environment is taking a firm stance against open dumping, a practice of disposing of waste in open sites, as a critical step toward resolving the nation's waste management crisis. The ministry clarifies that the focus is on ending this harmful disposal method, not on shutting down all waste processing facilities.

Laksmi Widyajayanti, acting deputy for Waste Management, Hazardous and Toxic Materials (PSLB3), emphasized that the government is concentrating on eradicating open dumping, which persists in several regions. For areas with limited land, she noted that upstream waste processing is essential. Widyajayanti pointed to the Suwung waste processing site in Bali, a primary disposal area for Denpasar and surrounding regions, as an example where source reduction efforts have shown positive results.

Since January, the implementation of waste sorting at the source in the Suwung site's service area has significantly reduced the volume of waste received. "The volume of waste received has decreased considerably after the community started sorting waste from the source. We continue to encourage upstream processing," Widyajayanti stated.

President Joko Widodo has urged for an accelerated resolution of national waste issues, moving the target from 2029 to 2028. In response, the government is preparing more comprehensive and integrated measures involving central and regional governments, the private sector, and the public. Widyajayanti stressed that waste management cannot solely rely on processing sites, advocating for an effective approach that begins with waste sorting at the source and embraces circular economy principles to create economic value from waste while minimizing environmental impact.