Environment Minister Affirms No Landfill Closures in Indonesia

Minister of Environment Jumhur Hidayat has stressed that there will be no closure of final processing sites (TPA) across Indonesia, including the Suwung TPA located in South Denpasar District, Denpasar City, Bali. The minister made the statement while attending a tree planting and dialogue event with environmental care communities at Tukad Bindu, Denpasar City, Bali, on Tuesday (9/6).

“No, the closure of TPA throughout Indonesia is about stopping open dumping activities. Open dumping means collecting, transporting, and dumping waste haphazardly, mixing everything together like in the old days. That is no longer allowed,” said Jumhur. He noted that waste entering a TPA must already be sorted at home into organic and inorganic categories. Furthermore, he emphasised that only residual waste is permitted to be disposed of at the TPA.

“From the source it is sorted, from the household. And if that is 100 per cent successful, only 23 to 24 per cent reaches the TPA, and that is only residue. So it is still allowed; what is not allowed is organic waste—turn it into fertiliser along the way. That is what is meant by processing en route. There are TPS3R facilities, right? So that is the intention, not that it is forbidden,” he added.

He asserted that there is actually no such thing as ‘TPA closure’, including at Suwung TPA. He claimed that from the outset, the policy to be implemented is restricting open dumping activities at all TPA in Indonesia. “Actually, from the beginning there was no mention of closure. From the start, it was only the open dumping practices from the old days—careless and smelly. Later, there will be no more smells, just a little, then it is disposed of and tidied up again,” he explained.

“There is something called a geomembrane. It is covered or layered with soil, backfilled. In fact, if the residue is very minimal, it is highly possible that the residue itself can be processed. It may not need to be that large, and eventually it is closed and turned into a golf course or something, a recreational area,” Jumhur continued. He stated that the restriction of open dumping is not a new policy, so the circulating issue about TPA closures is a misperception. “Actually, it has been like this for a long time. It is just a misperception, a misunderstanding. So people thought it meant closure, but it does not,” he said.

Previously, plans for the closure of Suwung TPA changed again. Bali Governor Wayan Koster announced that Suwung TPA would be completely closed and would no longer accept waste deliveries as of 1 August 2026. This was conveyed during a speech marking one year in office for the Governor and Deputy Governor of Bali on Wednesday (25/3) in the main meeting room of the Bali Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD) building. “On 1 August 2026, Suwung TPA must be completely closed. No more waste in any form may be brought to Suwung TPA,” Koster said.