Kebon Kongok Landfill Overloaded Again, Waste Disposal Restricted
Mataram City is once again facing the threat of waste accumulation. This follows the decision to restrict waste disposal at the Kebon Kongok landfill in West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), to only one trip per day.
Under normal conditions, Mataram City disposes of waste at the Kebon Kongok landfill via four trips per day. Due to the current restrictions, approximately 200 tonnes of waste that cannot be sent to the landfill are being temporarily stored at the Bintaro waste transfer station (TPS).
The Head of the Mataram City Environmental Agency (DLH), Nizar Denny Cahyately, stated that the restriction on trips began this week following instructions received from the West Nusa Tenggara Provincial Environmental Agency.
“The situation we faced several months ago is recurring in Mataram City. A few days ago, we received a letter from the Provincial Environmental Agency regarding the restriction of trips to the Kebon Kongok landfill. Starting this week, we have followed the provincial instructions, limiting disposal to only one trip per day,” Nizar said during an interview on Wednesday (16/09/2026).
Nizar revealed that the restriction was implemented because the Kebon Kongok landfill is increasingly full. Meanwhile, the third landfill, which is projected to accommodate larger waste volumes, has yet to be executed by the provincial government.
“We are attempting to lobby the Provincial Environmental Agency to allow at least two trips per day, as this is becoming a very heavy burden for Mataram City,” he added.
“We have prepared land at the old Bintaro TPS site; it is located somewhat deep within the area and we have fenced it off so it is not visually prominent to the public.”
Daily waste operations for Mataram residents currently reach 325 tonnes per day. With the restricted disposal to the Kebon Kongok landfill, there are fears that this will trigger waste accumulation at various points throughout the city.
“We have 32 trucks, and each truck carries 2 tonnes of waste, totaling about 70 tonnes. The remainder is being stored at the Bintaro TPS,” he added.
According to Nizar, if the waste from Mataram residents that cannot be sent to the landfill is stored at the Bintaro TPS, the capacity of that station can only last for the next three to five months.
“If this third landfill is not executed this year, it will be next year. If it is next year, it might only be operational around June,” he explained.
For context, Mataram City normally disposes of waste to the Kebon Kongok landfill via four trips per day. The Mataram Environmental Agency operates 32 dump trucks to transport resident waste to the landfill.
In a single trip, one dump truck can carry approximately 8 tonnes of waste. At the normal rate of four trips, these 32 trucks transport about 256 tonnes of waste per day. With the restriction to one trip, the waste from the remaining three trips must be diverted to the Bintaro TPS.
“Because three trips are being diverted to Bintaro, accumulation will automatically occur,” he said.
On the other hand, to reduce the volume of waste sent to the Kebon Kongok landfill, the Mataram City Government continues to promote the environment-based waste processing programme, known as ‘Tempah Dedoro’.
The Tempah Dedoro programme is currently active at 1,100 points across various sub-districts in Mataram City. The city government hopes that through this programme, a long-term solution to the waste emergency can be found.
“We hope for a swift follow-up from the provincial government,” he concluded.