West Java Administration Considers Reactivating Old Zones Amid Sarimukti Landfill Crisis, Needs Rp24 Billion

The West Java Provincial Government is considering the reactivation of zones 3 and 4 of the Sarimukti landfill in West Bandung Regency, West Java. This option has emerged following concerns that zone 5, the critical expansion area, is only expected to accommodate waste from the Greater Bandung area until this coming October.

“It is true, we are considering reactivating zones 3 and 4; it is the most rational option if zone 5 becomes full,” said Arief Perdana, Head of the Regional Landfill/TPST Waste Management UPTD at the West Java Provincial Environmental Agency, when contacted on Friday (5/6/2026).

Zones 3 and 4 were previously closed because they could no longer accommodate waste. Arief stated that the plan to reactivate these zones has actually been under consideration since 2025. However, the plan has been hindered by budget constraints regarding the necessary site reconfiguration to make them functional again.

The budget required to reopen these two old zones is estimated at Rp24 billion. “It has actually been discussed since last year, but the budget has not been available. It is quite a significant amount; we need approximately Rp24 billion to reactivate zones 3 and 4,” said Arief.

The expansion zone was originally prepared to accommodate 2 million tonnes of waste with a lifespan of two years. However, according to reports from the managers, the zone is visually almost full despite having only been operational for one year since May 2025.

“Based on calculations, zone 5 can only last until October 2026, and this is already known by Mr KDM (Governor of West Java),” added Arief.