Bali’s biggest open landfill was set to close for good on the 23rd December. However, this long-anticipated closure is now experiencing more obstacles.
Following the grant of an extension on the closure date, demonstrations have been held in Denpasar as waste collection teams have become vocal about their concerns over sustainable solutions for waste disposal when the Suwung TPA is closed.
Suwung TPA is Bali’s largest open landfill. Located close to some of Bali’s top tourism resorts, including Sanur and Nusa Dua, the landfill was opened in 1984.
Currently standing over 10 storeys high and sprawling over 32 hectares, Suwung TPA receives more than 1,000 tonnes of trash every day. The site technically stopped receiving organic waste as of August this year; however, it is unclear how much mixed waste has still been permitted to be dumped at the site.
With such a huge volume of trash still unable to be processed through alternative waste disposal systems (TEBA), TPS3R (Recycling and Recycling), TPST (Recycling and Recycling), shredding and decomposer machines, and source-based waste management systems, the Mayor of Denpasar, wrote a formal request letter to Bali Governor Wayan Koster to ask for an extension on the closure.
As a result, Governor Koster has communicated with the Indonesian Minister of Environment, Hanif Faisal Nurofiq, who has granted a two-month extension. In a statement, Governor Koster wrote, “The Minister of Environment has provided a response in the form of a decision to extend the deadline for implementing administrative sanctions until February 28th, 2026.”
Governor Koster explained, “The Mayor of Denpasar and Regent of Badung are committed to ensuring that the closure of the Suwung Landfill must be carried out no later than February 28th, 2025. After that, they will not request a postponement or extension of the closure period. They will also ensure that no waste will be dumped at the Suwung Landfill by March 1st, 2026.”
This decision is receiving a mixed response from local residents and environmentalists in Bali.
Since the initial closure notice for the 23rd December was issued earlier this year, many are disappointed that, despite more than enough time to coordinate a plan post-closure, an extension still had to be granted.
For many, however, the closure extension notices are proving to be yet more bad news.
On 23rd December, hundreds of independent garbage truck operators gathered in a demonstration in Denpasar to call for a better solution to be sought.
More than 500 garage truck operators gathered to raise their concerns that without a replacement landfill site, and without sufficient waste processing facilities and Waste to Energy (PSEL) systems in the area, the closure of Suwung TPA will do more harm than good.
The Chairman of the Bali Waste Self-Management Communication Forum (Forkom SSB), Wayan Suarta, told reporters, “This two-month delay means nothing. The PSEL construction process alone takes up to two years. Therefore, we request that the Suwung Landfill be permanently opened until a real solution is found.”
He added, “According to Law Number 18 of 2008, the government is obliged to ensure proper and environmentally conscious waste management.”
Speaking at the SSB Communication Forum, Secretary I Wayan Sujendra told reporters that all existing efforts to create alternative waste processing systems in Bali have been insufficient, leading to even greater reliance on independent garbage truck operators who transport waste directly to open landfills like Suwung TPA.
He shared, “Hundreds of billions of rupiah have been disbursed, but the results are suboptimal. Meanwhile, we, as a tax-compliant waste collection service that contributes to the local revenue (PAD), seem to be neglected.”
It remains to be seen if the Suwung TPA will be formally and finally closed on 28th February 2026, but what is evident is that there is still a lot more work to be done if Bali wants to mitigate its waste management issues in a sustainable way for the betterment of the environment, local residents, and tourists.
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