Currently, Indonesia produces approximately 27 million to 34 million\ntonnes of waste per year, according to reports from regencies and cities\nsubmitted to the Ministry of Environment. Because not all regions report\nwaste generation comprehensively, the actual figure is estimated to be\nmuch higher, reaching over 56 million to 70 million tonnes per year,\nequivalent to about 76,000 to 140,000 tonnes of waste every day.<\/p>\n
This figure indicates that the waste issue has reached a massive\nscale and requires systematic handling. Various landfills in Indonesia,\nespecially those still using the open dumping system, are now facing\novercapacity. Waste mountains continue to grow year after year, creating\nvarious environmental and safety risks for communities living\nnearby.<\/p>\n
Threatening Methane<\/strong><\/p>\n The composition of waste in Indonesia also presents complex\nchallenges. Organic waste still dominates, accounting for approximately\n40% to 50% of total waste generation. This is followed by plastic waste\nat around 18% to 19%, then wood, twigs, and leaves at about 11% to 12%,\npaper and cardboard at around 11%, and various other types of waste such\nas metal, glass, fabric, and rubber in smaller amounts.<\/p>\n The dominance of organic waste has serious consequences for climate\nchange. When organic waste is buried in landfills without proper\nmanagement, the decomposition process produces methane and carbon\ndioxide. Methane is a greenhouse gas with a much stronger heat-trapping\ncapability than carbon dioxide. It is unsurprising, therefore, that the\nwaste sector has become a significant contributor to greenhouse gas\nemissions. Indeed, the Ministry of Environment has noted that the waste\nsector contributes heavily to national methane emissions.<\/p>\n This impact can be seen through various studies on methane production\nin landfills. A simulation conducted by Walhi using the first-order\ndecay (FOD) method from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change\n(IPCC) shows that methane emissions continue to rise even though annual\nwaste generation fluctuates. Referring to 2022 data, Indonesia is\nestimated to produce approximately 142,923 tonnes of net CH4, equivalent\nto 3.8 million tonnes of CO2, which is projected to increase to 334,109\ntonnes of CH4, or about 9.02 million tonnes of CO2, by 2025.<\/p>\n This phenomenon occurs because organic waste buried in previous years\ncontinues to undergo decomposition and produces methane over a long\nperiod. The high waste mounds, reaching tens of metres, create ideal\nanaerobic conditions for methanogenic bacteria activity.<\/p>\n As a result, methane production persists and has the potential to\ntrigger explosions and fires due to its highly flammable nature.\nLandfill fires are often difficult to extinguish because the flames can\nburn beneath the surface of the waste pile. Furthermore, the formation\nof gas and ongoing decomposition processes can weaken the structure of\nthe waste mound, increasing the risk of landslides, especially during\nheavy rain. The tragedies of the Bantargebang and Cipayung landfill\nlandslides, as well as the fires at the Sarimukti and Jatiwasting\nlandfills, serve as stark reminders of these dangers.<\/p>\n Another threat is the impact on public health. Waste fires produce\ntoxic smoke that can cause respiratory disorders and irritation, while\nthe accumulation of methane in enclosed spaces can reduce oxygen levels,\nendangering both workers and residents near landfills. This situation\ndemonstrates that the waste issue is not merely a matter of cleanliness,\nbut a serious threat to human safety, the environment, and climate\nstability if not managed fundamentally and sustainably.<\/p>\n Solutions to Reduce Methane<\/strong><\/p>\n The increasing methane emissions from waste piles indicate that\nIndonesia\u2019s waste crisis cannot be solved simply by expanding landfill\ncapacity or building downstream processing technologies. The root of the\nproblem lies in the weak efforts to reduce waste at the source, as\nmandated by Law Number 18 of 2008, which places waste reduction as a top\npriority.<\/p>\n Policy focus that emphasises waste management only after it becomes\nwaste often leads to prevention strategies being neglected. In reality,\nreducing the use of single-use products, sorting at the source, reuse\nsystems, and increasing recycling are essential steps to suppress the\ngeneration of organic waste, which is the primary source of methane\nemissions. On the other hand, producer responsibility for the packaging\nand products they produce remains weak, meaning the burden of waste\nmanagement remains largely with the community and local governments.<\/p>\n Therefore, waste policy reform needs to be directed towards waste\nreduction at the source, strengthening producer responsibility, and\nimplementing a zero-waste approach. This step would not only reduce\nwaste volume but also suppress methane emissions, prevent various\ndisaster risks in landfills, and reduce the waste sector\u2019s contribution\nto the worsening climate crisis.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-heading-towards-a-waste-disaster-1788475917",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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