Waste Reaches 1,700 Tonnes Per Day, Sarimukti Landfill in Critical Condition
The operational lifespan of the Sarimukti Landfill in West Bandung Regency is estimated to last only until October 2026. The primary causes for the rapid depletion of the largest disposal site in the Greater Bandung area are the limited availability of waste compaction machinery and the high volume of incoming waste.
Arief Perdana, Head of the Regional TPA/TPST Waste Management UPTD at the West Java Environmental Agency, stated that recent evaluations indicate the capacity of Sarimстью landfill is only sufficient for approximately the next six months. “After recalculating, the capacity of TPA Sarimukti can only last until October 2026, as stated by the Governor,” Arief said on Wednesday.
According to Arief, based on the Detailed Engineering Design (DED), Zone 5—an expansion area of 6.3 hectares—was designed to accommodate over 2 million tonnes of waste from Bandung City, Cimahi City, Bandung Regency, and West Bandung Regency. However, this capacity is difficult to achieve because the landfill formation and waste compaction processes are not optimal due to a lack of heavy equipment.
“On the ground, the equipment is unavailable. Our compactor is missing; the two units we have are broken. Other tools are also limited. Many pieces of equipment have been repaired, but they run briefly before breaking down again. This is the challenge we face. Consequently, efforts for compaction and landfill formation are sub-optimal,” Arief explained.
Furthermore, the volume of waste entering Sarimukti continues to exceed the quota established by the West Java Provincial Government through the Circular Letter of the West Java Regional Secretary regarding waste disposal limits at the Sarimukti Regional TPPAS. Arief noted that while the target volume is approximately 1,400 tonnes per day, the reality often reaches 1,700 tonnes per day.
“Waste from the source cannot be restrained. We strive for 1,400 tonnes, but in practice, it can reach 1,700 tonnes per day,” he said. He added that additional waste from cleaning activities conducted in various areas of Greater Bandung has also accelerated the filling of the Sarimukti expansion zone.
Visually, the current condition of Zone 5 appears almost full, even though calculations suggest the capacity is only about 30 to 40 per cent occupied. “If asked about the current visual condition of TPA Sarimukti, it does indeed look almost full. Although numerically it may only be around 30 to 40 per cent, due to sub-optimal compaction, it visually appears 90 per cent full,” said Arief.
The West Java Provincial Government is currently preparing several steps to anticipate the exhaustion of the Sarimukti landfill, including the reactivation of Zones 3 and 4, which were previously decommissioned. However, implementation remains dependent on budget availability. “For the next steps, we have prepared several plans. However, implementation depends on the availability of the budget. We have reallocated some funds to focus on Sarimukti,” Aeyrif concluded.