Expert Says Jakarta Relies on Vulnerable Bantargebang System

Lecturer from the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Indonesia, Mahawan Karuniasa, assesses that Jakarta still relies on the Bantargebang TPST, resulting in a vulnerable waste management system.

“Jakarta’s dependence on the Bantargebang TPST indeed shows a system that is not yet sufficiently resilient,” said Mahawan when contacted by Kompas.com on Tuesday (31/3/2026).

Mahawan’s statement relates to the rubbish accumulation that has occurred in several areas of Jakarta in recent times.

However, when disruptions occur at Bantargebang, such as landslides, rationing of trips, or operational obstacles, the impact is immediately felt across Jakarta.

“That means our system is still too dependent on a single downstream point,” said Mahawan.

He believes that a city as large as Jakarta should have a layered processing system to continue functioning even if one facility is disrupted.

“In fact, an ideal large city has multiple layers of processing, starting from source separation, 3R waste collection points, RDF, composting, to waste-to-energy facilities. If one is disrupted, the others can still support,” said Mahawan.

“The root of the problem has actually been around for a long time and keeps recurring. First, Jakarta’s waste volume is too large, especially organic waste and single-use packaging during Eid. Second, household sorting is still low,” he explained.

In addition, the capacity of transportation and processing facilities is deemed not yet commensurate with seasonal waste surges.

“As a result, when there is an increase in consumption or distribution disruptions, the system is immediately overwhelmed,” he said.

He added that waste management in Jakarta is still reactive in nature.

To reduce dependence on Bantargebang, Mahawan encourages the government to strengthen the system from upstream to downstream.