Environment Minister Urges Jakarta to Set Example as Region Free from "Open Dumping"

The government assesses that Jakarta’s success in waste management will serve as a national benchmark. Conversely, Jakarta’s failure would complicate national transformation. Jakarta (ANTARA) - Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq has urged Jakarta to become a model region without open waste dumping or processing. This was stated by the Environment Minister during a visit to Cilincing, North Jakarta, on Friday, for a rubbish clean-up while educating residents to sort and process household waste. “The government views Jakarta’s success in waste management as a national barometer. If successful, this can encourage a cultural change in waste management across Indonesia. On the other hand, Jakarta’s failure will hinder national transformation,” said Environment Minister Hanif. He noted that there are currently 497 final disposal sites in 472 districts/cities, but around 70-72% of these sites still practise open dumping, including in Jakarta. However, this practice has been prohibited by Law No. 18 of 2008 and should have been stopped since 2013. “This improvement is partly contributed by the closure of open dumping practices in around 30% of final processing sites (TPA) nationwide,” he said. So far, he continued, open dumping is still carried out because it is considered the cheapest method, simply collecting, transporting, and disposing of waste. However, this method causes serious environmental problems and does not encourage changes in public behaviour. He cited examples from several areas, such as Rorotan Ward, North Jakarta, which has successfully achieved a waste sorting rate of 30-40%. From around 15 tonnes of organic waste per day, about 5-6 tonnes have been successfully sorted. “Similar programmes are now being strengthened in Semper Timur Ward, North Jakarta, which has been a pilot project since 2025. With a population of around 24,000 people, the government is optimistic that waste sorting achievements can be significantly increased in the near future,” stated Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq.