Environment Minister Opens Possibility of Extending Deadline for Closing Open Dumping Landfills
The government is opening the possibility of extending the deadline for halting the open dumping system at landfills, which was previously targeted for full implementation by 1 August 2026. Relaxation will be provided to local governments deemed serious about improving waste management governance but still requiring time to complete the transition process.
Minister of Environment Mohammad Jumhur Hidayat stated that the government maintains its target for all landfills to cease using the open dumping system starting next August. However, the government is also considering field conditions which indicate that waste management issues cannot be resolved in a short period.
“We are indeed pushing for the open dumping to be finished by 1 August,” said Jumhur when met at Bulusan Edu Park, Semarang, Central Java, on Tuesday (2/6/2026).
According to Jumhur, many local governments have shown commitment to improving waste management and addressing the issue of overcapacity landfills. However, the construction of processing facilities and changes to waste management systems require significant time and processes.
“Because waste management turns out not to be as easy as imagined—moving or creating something new; everything still requires a process,” he said.
Consequently, the Ministry of Environment is considering providing relaxation for regions unable to meet the deadline, provided they have concrete plans and steps to end open dumping practices.
“Therefore, there is potential for the government to provide relaxation by extending the deadline, based on their (local governments’) seriousness,” said Jumress.
He emphasised that relaxation would not be granted without conditions. The government will ensure that regions receiving an extension truly implement improvements to waste management systems and no longer rely on the old pattern of collecting, transporting, and dumping waste into landfills.
“Because relaxation must be accompanied and ensured by determination, such as the desire to ensure we do not just collect, transport, and dump. That is very primitive; it has been like that since ancient times. Collecting waste, mixing it all together, transporting it, and dumping it into landfills. Well, that is no longer in fashion,” said Jumhur.
According to Jumhur, the government will seek a middle ground between the need for relaxation and the target for improving regional waste management. Evaluations will be conducted based on the progress and solutions proposed by each local government.
“We will find the intersection between relaxation and the hard work being done below, reaching a specific deadline. And the solutions we present, as well as those proposed by local governments, will eventually meet,” he concluded.