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Only a quarter of RI's daily waste properly managed, ministry says

Indonesia generates 144,562 tonnes of waste daily, but only a quarter is properly managed, leaving the vast majority to be dumped in unprocessed form, the Environment Ministry has said.

Divya Karyza (The Jakarta Post)
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Jakarta
Tue, September 8, 2026

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An aerial photo shows garbage trucks near mounds of waste covered with protective sheeting at the Bantar Gebang landfill in Bekasi, West Java, on Aug. 2, 2026. An aerial photo shows garbage trucks near mounds of waste covered with protective sheeting at the Bantar Gebang landfill in Bekasi, West Java, on Aug. 2, 2026. (Antara/Darryl Ramadhan)

I

ndonesia 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 has said.

With 75 percent of landfills still practicing 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 percent of the country’s 522 final disposal sites still rely on open dumping systems.

The government has formulated a 2026-2029 waste management road map under Presidential Regulation No. 12/2025 to eliminate open dumping, strengthen processing facilities and expand services to the household level.

Read also: Massive fire breaks out in Tangerang’s Jatiwaringin landfill

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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 (TPAs) had proper waste treatment and disposal facilities.

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