Bali is facing huge changes in the way it manages its trash. While this may not seem like much of an issue for the average tourist, the changes will have a huge impact on the way in which hotels, villas, cafes, restaurants, and beach clubs process their waste. It will certainly result in noticeable changes for tourists sooner rather than later.
The Indonesian Government has called for Bali’s biggest open landfill, the Suwung TPA, to be closed once and for all. The landfill site, which has already been operating at capacity for years, was due to be closed in November 2022 by the G20 Summit.
However, as the years have gone on, the site has continued to accept tonnes upon tonnes of waste every single day.
A radical change is needed, and the Indonesian government has put new orders in place stating that Bali’s landfill sites, known as TPAs, will no longer accept waste from the tourism sector.
The Director of Waste Management for the Ministry of Environment, Norma Tahar, visited Bali earlier this month and confirmed that while dialogues remain ongoing, there is no turning back on closing Suwung TPA at this time.
Tahar stated, “We will intensively discuss land options outside Denpasar and Badung Regency. Hopefully, in the near future, we will come to a permanent decision which is fixed.”
The site is a major public health risk, especially as the rainy season approaches; with the mountain of trash sitting at 35m ground level, there are risks of trash landslides.
As the site becomes drier before the rains fully arrive, it poses a huge fire risk, as seen in October 2024. When the rains do arrive, the risk of flooding in the area is increased too.
The new policy to block waste from the hospitality sector entering Bali’s landfill sites has been given backing by the Chairman of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) Badung I Gusti Agung Ngurah Rai Suryawijaya.
He told reporters, “It’s not a problem for us in the hotel sector because we are used to sorting waste. Plastic waste can be processed into other products, so this step should have been done.”
He praised the policy for helping to push forward the mission to create more sustainable and eco-friendly tourism in Bali.
Suryawijaya noted, “We support better waste management so that there is a significant change, and this is important for the Bali that we love. The problems of waste, traffic jams, infrastructure, and water availability are big challenges that need to be addressed in the future.”
Suryawijaya shared that Badung Regency alone has more than 4,000 registered tourism accommodation businesses ranging from 5-star hotels to family-run B&Bs.
Around 71% of the total 160,000 accommodation rooms in Bali are located in the Badung area. He also shared that hotels in Badung are likely to agree with this policy.
Badung Regency is home to Bali’s most famous resorts, including Canggu, Seminyak, Legian, Seminyak, Kuta, Jimbaran, and Uluwatu.
Suryawijaya shared his hopes that the new central Government and the new incoming governor and provincial Government will be able to take big strides in improving the all-important infrastructure that enables Bali to be a world-class tourism destination.
He told reporters, “The Government as a regulator, the industry as an executor, and the community as a supporter must collaborate with each other.”
“Whoever will become a leader later must have a commitment to maintaining Bali, both from the physical and spiritual side and developing Bali as a whole.”
On the 27th of November, Bali will vote to decide who the new governor of the province will be.
The decision is between Wayan Koster, who has already served one term, and Made Muliawan Arya, who is often known by his nickname De Gajah.
Both have spoken about trash, tourism, and traffic congestion on the campaign trail so far.
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gf
Sunday 17th of November 2024
the solution is simple: just dump it in the river!!!
Wayan Mataram
Sunday 17th of November 2024
It is wise to close the landfill of Suwung. However: I would suggest to do the following 1. A distributwd waste management system required to be established both for solid waste & liquid waste at oall "Kelurahan" areas in Bali province I. e transfer stations such as TPST/TPS3R/TOSS and Landfill for managing the Solid Waste(MSW). This landfill required as a final dumping ground for residual from transfer stations which amount as much as around 1% of total amount of waste A proper Liquid Waste management required to treate waste water from kitchen, bath room & laundry with proper drainage, treatment plant and utilisation of effluent water The present waste which pile up at TPA (Landfills) Temesi, Suwung and other Regencies in Bali have to be converted in to electricity (Waste to Energy - WtE plants. 2. On the subject of wastes (solid & liquid) from tourism industry I would suggest they have to make their own waste management system available within their premises. 3. A proper coordination amongst stake holders, government authorities to be better organized headed / leaded by Environtment Department should be established
Exp
Sunday 17th of November 2024
@Wayan Mataram,
1. Denpasar open a "modern" TPST only last year in Kesiman. Now closed due to unbearable pollution and odor from smoke. Other TPST also closed.
LINK The "distributed" system you talk about will never work as they use low tech and cheap machinery aand just burn whatever they can and make life hell for residents.
2. How is that going to work as smaller hotels have no money for such. And even larger resorts and hotels do not have area available to install all required equipment and likely all this effort will cause smoke and odor scaring their customers away.
3. Nobody do anything here unless they have some sort of personal benefit from "interfering" in the cash flow. The only projects that works to some degree are larger ones organized from Jakarta.
Anton
Sunday 17th of November 2024
The kura kura project was much more important than this problem. There were great plans to make a recycling plant in that area. and that would solve the problem. moving to gianyar will bring much more expenses that it is not financially viable. and for the residents of serangan. It would have created much more employment for them than now.
WAYAN BO
Saturday 16th of November 2024
🚮: Just trying to make extra money by offering worlds first trash holidays on beautiful trash beaches, real trash and real plastic everywhere, come and enjoy from all over the world, it’s worthwhile even twenty hours flight because it will be unforgettable vacation 🤣
j west
Monday 18th of November 2024
@WAYAN BO, No one in their right mind would visit Bali during " Trash Season" (November to May) . A mandatory educational global advisory and warning to potential tourists would be the moral and honest thing to do. Why has Indonesia not done the right thing?
Paul Morris
Saturday 16th of November 2024
Where has all the money collected from the tourist tax gone not a single word from government officials about any of this money’s use to date it was supposed to be used to help solve waste management issues. Unfortunately just a money pot that simply just disappear into thin air.
gf
Sunday 17th of November 2024
@Paul Morris, they have families....
Exp
Sunday 17th of November 2024
@Paul Morris, Elections coming up. Say no more.
Paul
Saturday 16th of November 2024
@Paul Morris, that's why most of the tourist that come to bali avoided paying the tax it's just going to the greedy and not the people