Bali’s waste management problems have been inescapable for a very long time. Over the last week, the issues have been hitting headlines as major landfill closures come into effect.
While long-term solutions are being implemented, increased trash burning and illegal waste dumping are affecting both local residents and tourists, raising questions about whether Bali can resolve these issues quickly.
On the 1st April 2026, Bali’s biggest landfill, the Suwung TPA, officially stopped receiving organic waste, which accounts for 65% of all the waste produced in Bali.
The landfill site is set to be permanently closed by 31st July 2026, but with the Waste to Energy facility that is set to take on the waste typically sent to Suwung TPA and other landfill sites across the province not yet built, there are huge concerns that the issues seen in Bali over the last two weeks since Suwung TPA stopped receiving organic waste, will only continue.
There have been increased reports of illegal trash dumping in communities across Bali. There has also been a notable increase in the amount of trash burning across the island.
It is common practice across Indonesia to burn waste, including inorganic materials like plastic, but footage recorded from a passenger landing at Bali Airport this weekend shows the extent of the problem.
From the air, it was clear that trash fires were burning across the central south of Bali, emitting smoke and toxic fumes across the region.
Concerns are now being raised that organic waste is still being accepted at Suwung TPA, despite the ban coming into effect.
Footage circulated online this weekend of a Badung Regency Environment and Sanitation Agency (DLHK) truck transporting waste from Kuta Beach to the landfill site.
The Acting Head of the Badung Environment and Forestry Agency told reporters, “The central government has given us permission to dispose of specific waste at the Suwung landfill. Specific waste is not waste caused by us, not by households, or businesses here. It is waste sent from the sea.”
Garbage trucks arriving at Suwung TPA with upwards of 5% organic waste in the mix are being turned away, resulting in trash piling up in local communities, with residents faced with little option but to burn.
The region’s recycling facilities, known as TPS3Rs, are already at what local sources are describing as a ‘crisis’ point due to the huge surge in waste. These facilities can typically process 60 tonnes of waste per day, which is only a fraction of what landfill sites have been receiving day in day out for over a decade.
Bali Waste Crisis
The Head of the Bali Waste Self-Management Forum, Wayan Suarta, told reporters that not only are the TPS3Rs struggling to cope, but neighboring landfill sites, notably Padangsambian, Kertalangu, and Tahura, are also overwhelmed by the increase in waste.
With queues backing up, leaders are now questioning whether utilizing former quarries, such as those in Klungkung Regency, may be the only option until the Waste to Energy facilities are up and running.
Suarta confirmed that garbage collectors are being turned away at landfill sites following inspections. He explained, “Officers inspect the cargo at the front, and if there’s even a tiny bit of organic matter, they’re immediately told to turn around. This is what makes many transporters give up.”
He added, “If this continues, it won’t be long before this becomes a major problem in society.”
Over the next month, drastic improvements are needed to waste-disposal systems across Bali. While Suwung TPA receives the majority of the waste from Denpasar City, Badung Regency, and some from Gianyar Regency, there are other landfill sites across Bali that are also operating at capacity and set to close.
The Bengkala TPA, located in Buleleng Regency, is set to stop receiving organic waste and only take in ‘residual waste’ as of the 1st May 2025, and is due to close fully by the end of July.
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arthur
Thursday 16th of April 2026
Balinese government is a joke but karma will hit hard soon...
Exp
Tuesday 14th of April 2026
I read local news and it is clear the a massive problem is brewing,
- In central Denpasar residents have dropped their organic waste outside Banjar office
- The Trash sorting stations (TSP) are overwhelmed and unable to process all incoming trash
- I heard about truck drivers offering to take organic waste for sky high rate. The question is where are they dumping the trash as Suwung landfill not taking it?
- Trash burning rampant even in tourist zones
- Trash bags and broken bags scattered along roads
Our villa invested in an electric machine that basically grinds and heat most organic waste to a tiny amount of pre organic (dry) material sent to compost company. Some smell so the machine run in ventilated garage.
People need a clear instruction on what shall be done with the organic waste as those with means and will get rid of it, while the rest have no idea.
M
Thursday 16th of April 2026
@Exp, the Governor is overlooking the situation. He does since 2018... must be a hard equation.
M
Tuesday 14th of April 2026
p.s. the central government should ask foreign expertise if there isn't the proper competence ready. Also in Jakarta and other areas the situation isn't better. There's nothing to be shy to ask help and advice to grow with somebody's elses help.
M
Tuesday 14th of April 2026
The leaders in charge should be dismissed today straight away... this is the last of a whole seriers of heavy incompetence proof and I'm serious surprised that after the all the COVID19 related problems some of this figures are again sitting on the same place and doing even worse then before! I dunno what this so called experts were studying in there primes, but or they paid for their school diplom or the average academic level is below any proper standards. A monkey had could tell what's happening after closing waste management structures without having yet the proper replacement and inceneritors ready... with all the due respect for any monkey out there. This is frustrating, it's incompetence on highest level, almost diabolic. And it even sucks that I need time to even explain this, I hope the responsible once are at least reading some news and understand there wrong-doing and care a minimum about the ground they're walking on - they don't care for sure about the people around them, otherwise they wouldn't act like this.
In other newspapers already it was pointed out that "tourists will not come if they see garbage everywhere (with clear worse problems coming afterwards due to missing revenues for the island)" and "restricting landfill access without adequate infrastructure and preparation could create new problems instead of solving existing ones. (not at last regarding the public health situation)" Also “a policy can only be effective if implementation on the ground runs in parallel with proper systems, which should be key elements as — including public education (yes the mindset has to change, there's no hiding behind this fact), waste processing infrastructure (inceneritors and recycling centers / and composting centers in each desa), human resources (it needs also professionals), and data-driven management systems — should have been established before enforcing such restrictions."
As a short-term solution, experts suggest expanding facilities for processing inorganic and plastic waste, while involving informal sectors to help manage the growing backlog. For the long term, it is needed a comprehensive waste management system that integrates public awareness, infrastructure, and technology — all working simultaneously, NOT AS AN AFTERTHOUGT!!!
I love Bali
Tuesday 14th of April 2026
Just when think the government cannot get any stupider in Bali lo and behold, they stepped to the plate and they show you that. Yes they can get stupider.. They have had years and years and years to plan a new dump a new area to put all their garbage.. now they’re not even picking up the worst part of the garbage the organic garbage. The garbage trucks are not picking it up at all. The said more people are gonna throw their garbage in the river. This is going to attract the rats. The rats are gonna attract the snakes and the island is going to start stinking to high heaven. Flying over Bali the other day you saw hundreds of fires and all of those fires they’re burning their garbage. I stopped by one of the fires and said wow why does it smell like Plastic and the gentleman said well the wet garbage does not burn by itself so we add lots of plastic in the fire. To keep the fire burning.. so not only are we smelling stinky garbage getting burnt but we’re also inhaling all the fumes from all the plastic they’re burning. The government here needs to resign.. hire people that understand waste management. They want more tourists for the tourists are leaving in droves.. The crime is going rampant. It starts with something as simple as people taking their mufflers off of their motorcycles. The type of person that takes their mufflers off their motorcycle motorcycles are the same people that eventually will turn into criminals. They’re not the good people they’re the trash. And once they see that they can get away with breaking the laws then they step it up a bit and start to see if they can profit from their criminal activities.. The government is doing a horrible job here the police are nonexistent. If there’s no money going in their pockets then why should they do anything? And the people to take their mufflers off of their motorbikes are not the wealthy. Is hard to say you can blame the police for shaking people down when they’re only making a couple hundred dollars a month. This island is doomed for failure. So governor and government of Bali it’s time to pull your head out of your ass and do something about the garbage problem tourist are leaving Bali and talking to other people that were thinking about coming to Bali but now they’re like nope I’m not going there. The place is a garbage pit there’s garbage everywhere. This is totally disgusting. Bali is no longer. The island of the gods is the island of garbage.