Tabanan Turns into a Rubbish City Due to Restrictions at Mandung Landfill

The face of Tabanan town is marred. Piles of rubbish have accumulated at several points on Monday (4/5/2026). This sight is even visible along the main roads of Tabanan town towards Kediri sub-district. Observations at the site showed rubbish lined up along Jalan Pahlawan, the Tabanan town market area, Jalan Pulau Seribu up to Jalan Denpasar-Gilimanuk near the Grand Mosque of Kediri. This situation occurred because the waste discarded by the community is still mixed and not sorted. To the west of the Tabanan Regent’s Office, rubbish is even lined up and piled up just like that on the pavement. One beverage seller near the location said the rubbish piles have been ongoing for six days. “It’s been six days until now and it hasn’t been collected. Many people just leave it there. Some bring it on motorbikes and just dump it,” said the seller. Tabanan Vice Regent, I Made Dirga, stressed that the uncollected rubbish is due to the lack of sorting. If the community has sorted and only left residue, the rubbish is guaranteed to be collected by the Tabanan Environment Agency (DLH) trucks. This is in line with the Circular Letter (SE) issued by the Tabanan Regent regarding source-based waste management. In addition, the SE states that only residual waste will be collected and disposed of at the Mandung landfill. “The SE has been socialised. Let’s sort the rubbish. This must be done together. If it’s sorted and only residue, it will definitely be collected,” Dirga asserted. Dirga again reminded the importance of collective community awareness in sorting rubbish. According to him, this policy cannot run without the active role of all parties. “It can’t be done alone, it must be together. Let’s start sorting rubbish gradually,” Dirga requested. Head of the Waste and Faecal Sludge Processing UPTD of Tabanan DLH, I Wayan Atmaja, revealed that 15 rubbish trucks have been rejected from entering the Mandung landfill during the four days of SE implementation. The rejection of the dozen trucks was because they carried mixed rubbish. According to Atmaja, all rejected trucks were carrying unsorted rubbish. The Waste and Faecal Sludge Processing UPTD of Tabanan DLH has also provided socialisation to the drivers regarding the policy. “All that we rejected still carried mixed rubbish, so we are firm in line with our commitment,” Atmaja said. On one hand, the Mandung landfill recorded 23 vehicles passing since Sunday (3/5/2026). However, the volume of residual rubbish transported is relatively small, around 1 to 1.5 cubic metres, dominated by private vehicles. Atmaja again urged and reminded the community to sort rubbish independently. He stressed that only residual rubbish will be accepted at the Mandung landfill.