Eddy: Jatiwaringin Landfill Fire Underscores Urgency of Accelerating WTE Programme

Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) Eddy Soeparno has stated that the fire at the Jatiwaringin Final Disposal Site (TPA) in Tangerang, Banten, underscores the importance of accelerating the national waste management programme through waste-to-energy (WTE) mechanisms. In a statement received in Jakarta on Sunday, Eddy said the incident demonstrates that Indonesia can no longer rely on a waste management system dependent on landfilling. “The Jatiwaringin landfill fire is an alarm that our waste management capacity has reached a point requiring fundamental change, including processing waste into resources that benefit the community, such as electrical energy,” he said. Such conditions increase the risk of fires due to methane gas accumulation, exacerbate environmental pollution, and squander the energy and economic potential contained within the waste. He therefore supports President Prabowo Subianto’s move to accelerate the construction of WTE facilities in various regions as part of reforming national waste management. According to him, the WTE programme is a strategic solution because it addresses two challenges simultaneously: reducing the volume of waste entering landfills and generating electrical energy for public use. “This is a tangible form of a circular economy that provides added value from something previously considered waste,” he stated. He declared that the legislature will continue to oversee the construction and operation of WTE facilities to ensure they comply with environmental regulations, utilise the best available technology, and are conducted transparently. “The implementation of this programme must ensure that the technology used meets international emission standards, is strictly supervised, and produces the clean energy we need for the energy transition,” he said. In addition to building WTE facilities, he stressed that waste reduction at the source must remain a priority through household waste sorting, increased recycling, and the strengthening of waste banks. “Waste-to-energy does not mean we ignore waste reduction efforts; rather, WTE is part of an integrated waste management system. Waste that still has economic value must be recycled first, while the residue can be utilised as an energy source,” he said. “We need the courage to make a policy leap by accelerating the construction of waste-to-energy as part of a national strategy towards a cleaner, healthier, and more energy-independent Indonesia,” he added. The fire at the Jatiwaringin landfill has been burning since Tuesday (30/6). The Tangerang Regency Government has declared a fire emergency response status for 14 days, effective from 1 July 2026. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) recorded that 102 residents have been displaced due to smoke from the fire to avoid the hazardous effects of the burning waste material.