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View all search resultsBali trash issues raise concerns after landfill closure
Residents are forced to burn and throw their garbage to rivers after the 32-hectare Suwung landfill limits garbage collection ahead of its Aug. 1 closure.
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Sort it right: Workers sort waste on April 17, 2026, at the Tahura integrated waste processing facility (TPST) in Denpasar, Bali. The local administration has continued to increase the facility’s processing capacity, which currently handles 180 tonnes of waste per day, to address waste management issues in the Denpasar area. (Antara/Fikri Yusuf)
B
ali residents are facing growing concern over uncollected trash in the tourist hub, with people increasingly burning rubbish, throwing it into rivers, littering on the roadside, public parks or even in school areas.
Piles of garbage have become a common sight on roadsides. Some of these piles emit a foul odor. The river has become a favorite dumping spot with trash uncollected for weeks or even months.
Some people have decided to burn their trash at home or at the nearest empty plot of land from their house, following the latest regulation aimed at limiting the amount of trash sent to the 32-hectare Suwung landfill in Denpasar, the biggest landfill on the island, before its total closure on Aug. 1. In addition to garbage from Denpasar city, the landfill is also the destination for garbage originating from Badung, Gianyar and Tabanan regencies.
“Many people around my house constantly burn their trash. It is filling the air with smoke and creating a very bad smell of burning plastic. It’s extremely worrying,” said 35-year-old Tyas Ardi, a resident of Denpasar.
The mother of one said that she was concerned her toddler who has had a cough the last several days. “The smoke is everywhere near my house,” she said.
Tyas said that she had bought an air purifier, and it shows an indicator of very bad air quality every time she opens the windows.
“From green, the indicator immediately switched to yellow when I open the window,” she said.
