Indonesia Heading Towards a Waste Disaster

Currently, Indonesia produces approximately 27 million to 34 million tonnes of waste per year, according to reports from regencies and cities submitted to the Ministry of Environment. Because not all regions report waste generation comprehensively, the actual figure is estimated to be much higher, reaching over 56 million to 70 million tonnes per year, equivalent to about 76,000 to 140,000 tonnes of waste every day.

This figure indicates that the waste issue has reached a massive scale and requires systematic handling. Various landfills in Indonesia, especially those still using the open dumping system, are now facing overcapacity. Waste mountains continue to grow year after year, creating various environmental and safety risks for communities living nearby.

Threatening Methane

The composition of waste in Indonesia also presents complex challenges. Organic waste still dominates, accounting for approximately 40% to 50% of total waste generation. This is followed by plastic waste at around 18% to 19%, then wood, twigs, and leaves at about 11% to 12%, paper and cardboard at around 11%, and various other types of waste such as metal, glass, fabric, and rubber in smaller amounts.

The dominance of organic waste has serious consequences for climate change. When organic waste is buried in landfills without proper management, the decomposition process produces methane and carbon dioxide. Methane is a greenhouse gas with a much stronger heat-trapping capability than carbon dioxide. It is unsurprising, therefore, that the waste sector has become a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, the Ministry of Environment has noted that the waste sector contributes heavily to national methane emissions.

This impact can be seen through various studies on methane production in landfills. A simulation conducted by Walhi using the first-order decay (FOD) method from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that methane emissions continue to rise even though annual waste generation fluctuates. Referring to 2022 data, Indonesia is estimated to produce approximately 142,923 tonnes of net CH4, equivalent to 3.8 million tonnes of CO2, which is projected to increase to 334,109 tonnes of CH4, or about 9.02 million tonnes of CO2, by 2025.

This phenomenon occurs because organic waste buried in previous years continues to undergo decomposition and produces methane over a long period. The high waste mounds, reaching tens of metres, create ideal anaerobic conditions for methanogenic bacteria activity.

As a result, methane production persists and has the potential to trigger explosions and fires due to its highly flammable nature. Landfill fires are often difficult to extinguish because the flames can burn beneath the surface of the waste pile. Furthermore, the formation of gas and ongoing decomposition processes can weaken the structure of the waste mound, increasing the risk of landslides, especially during heavy rain. The tragedies of the Bantargebang and Cipayung landfill landslides, as well as the fires at the Sarimukti and Jatiwasting landfills, serve as stark reminders of these dangers.

Another threat is the impact on public health. Waste fires produce toxic smoke that can cause respiratory disorders and irritation, while the accumulation of methane in enclosed spaces can reduce oxygen levels, endangering both workers and residents near landfills. This situation demonstrates that the waste issue is not merely a matter of cleanliness, but a serious threat to human safety, the environment, and climate stability if not managed fundamentally and sustainably.

Solutions to Reduce Methane

The increasing methane emissions from waste piles indicate that Indonesia’s waste crisis cannot be solved simply by expanding landfill capacity or building downstream processing technologies. The root of the problem lies in the weak efforts to reduce waste at the source, as mandated by Law Number 18 of 2008, which places waste reduction as a top priority.

Policy focus that emphasises waste management only after it becomes waste often leads to prevention strategies being neglected. In reality, reducing the use of single-use products, sorting at the source, reuse systems, and increasing recycling are essential steps to suppress the generation of organic waste, which is the primary source of methane emissions. On the other hand, producer responsibility for the packaging and products they produce remains weak, meaning the burden of waste management remains largely with the community and local governments.

Therefore, waste policy reform needs to be directed towards waste reduction at the source, strengthening producer responsibility, and implementing a zero-waste approach. This step would not only reduce waste volume but also suppress methane emissions, prevent various disaster risks in landfills, and reduce the waste sector’s contribution to the worsening climate crisis.