Governor's Office in Bali Besieged by Garbage Trucks Leading to Reopening of Suwung Landfill

The reopening of the Suwung Final Processing Site (TPA) in Denpasar for organic waste on a limited basis has become a temporary solution to address the prolonged waste problem in Bali. As is known, the TPA Suwung has been closed since 1 April. Before that, Bali’s largest TPA has been closed and reopened several times. Head of the Environment Control Centre (PPLH) Bali-Nusra, Ni Nyoman Santi, stated that the option to dispose of organic waste at TPA Suwung twice a week would greatly facilitate waste handling in Bali. This follows a demonstration by hundreds of garbage truck drivers. “This is the first key that will indeed greatly facilitate subsequent waste handling,” said Santi when met at the PPLH Bali-Nusra office on Thursday (16/4/2026). Appreciation for the Public’s Waste Sorting Santi also touched on the emergence of waste from organic waste at the Waste Processing Site and Temporary Landfill (TPST). She mentioned that its handling is currently being restricted. She appreciated the public who have independently sorted their waste. This is a positive signal that Bali is ready for waste handling and management. “Every policy that is implemented or enforced will certainly be evaluated, then together it will be improved to find the right formula,” she explained. The Ministry and local government will also discuss the schedule for sending organic waste on which days to make it regular. “Not rigid, meaning inputs flow, all inputs are heard by the government. Real conditions in the field, what are the challenges in the field, all are heard,” Santi elaborated. “Of course, the Governor is also coordinating and the Minister is monitoring,” she added. Organic Waste Sent Twice a Week The Bali Self-Managed Waste Communication Forum (SSB), as the waste transport service, is permitted to send organic waste to TPA Suwung twice a week. This is the result of discussions held with Bali Governor Wayan Koster, Badung Regent I Wayan Adi Arnawa, and Denpasar Mayor I Gusti Ngurah Jaya Negara at the Bali-Nusra Environment Control Centre Office, Renon, Denpasar, on Thursday. Secretary of Forkom SSB, I Wayan Tedi, said that the two-hour discussion involved quite heated debates. “We finally agreed on a win-win solution where the Minister allows us, as self-managed waste transport services, for organic waste, both wet and dry organic waste, twice a week from 8am to 8pm,” said Tedi. Tedi conveyed that this agreement applies starting tomorrow, Friday (17/4/2026). Later, Forkom SSB will arrange the schedule for which days to send organic waste to TPA Suwung. “This is what we can fight for; the important thing is we can work to serve the community. So we remain united; this is not about us but Bali’s name internationally because waste is everywhere,” Tedi explained. Besieging the Governor’s Office Previously, hundreds of SSB Forum garbage trucks crowded the Bali Governor’s Office on Jalan Basuki Rahmat, Renon, Denpasar, on Thursday morning. Observations by detikBali at the location showed trucks starting to arrive around 10:32 WITA. The trucks lined up from the western end in front of the Bali DPRD office to the eastern side in front of the Bali-Nusra Environment Control Office. “There are nearly 300 of them,” said one of the protesters. The crowd at the location consisted of waste transporters protesting the Bali Provincial Government’s policy on the ban on disposing organic waste at TPA Suwung starting 1 April 2026. They also brought banners with demands they would convey. Asking Prabowo to Intervene The protesting crowd from the Bali Self-Managed Waste Forum (SSB) conveyed several demands during the demonstration in front of the Bali-Nusra Environment Control Centre Office, Renon, Denpasar, on Thursday (16/4/2026). SSB Forum Chairman, I Wayan Suarta, stated the first demand was to keep TPA Suwung open without restrictions on waste types. “While continuing revitalisation until the waste-to-electricity facility (PSEL) operates,” said Suarta during his oration. Secondly, Suarta asked President Prabowo Subianto to intervene in handling the waste polemic in Bali. If not, he threatened that waste transporters would not collect any type of community waste. “If these demands are not met, then… then… we will go on a mass strike collecting waste,” he said, followed by cheers from the entire crowd. Suarta said that during the ban on disposing organic waste at TPA Suwung, some self-managed trucks were rejected when sending organic waste to TPST. “The reason was overload. We, both waste collection services and the community, are willing to follow government rules and directions to sort waste, whether organic, non-organic, or residue,” he explained.