Bali’s waste management issues have reached a certain stage over the last couple of weeks.
With the island’s biggest open landfill officially no longer accepting organic waste, the whole trash processing system has fallen into disarray.
Illegal trash dumping has been recorded in the popular resort of Kuta, and both residents and tourists have noticed a sharp increase in trash burning across the island.
Over the last week, piles of trash have been accumulating around Kuta Beach. The issue had caught the attention of the Kuta Traditional Village, which has been working with the Environment and Forestry Agency to remove the trash from the popular tourist destination, but more bags keep appearing. The situation is now a public health concern as flies have started amassing around the waste piles, and there are concerns that vermin will soon follow.
Local hotels have taken matters into their own hands by calling Pest Control to spray for flies and help mitigate the issue. Pest Control Officer Gede Rai Eka had a quick chat with reporters and said that he had been called out by Kuta’s Tribe Hotel to combat the problem.
One of the biggest issues with the piles of trash is that the bags contain mixed waste. With organic and non-organic material now mixed together in the bags, the waste cannot be dumped at open landfill sites like Suwung TPA. The bags are filled with both plastic waste and food leftovers, including coconuts.
Eka explained that the flies are not only congregating around the trash but also entering nearby businesses and the beachfront. Speaking separately, Marketing Communication at Tribe Bali Kuta Beach, Astri Pirawitnawati, noted that the presence of trash across from the hotel could disrupt hotel guests’ comfort.
She explained, “Of course, some parts of it do disturb guests’ comfort. Our hotel does have a beach view and is located close to the beach. That’s why we promote the beach as an attractive destination for guests.” Though there have not been any formal complaints yet, top hotels like Tribe and other leading resorts in Kuta don’t want to run the risk of disappointed guests. She shared, “We’re anticipating this to prevent complaints. So far, there haven’t been any complaints about trash on Kuta Beach.”
Pirawitnawati added, “We anticipate this by sending pest control personnel there regularly to check and exterminate flies. This way, the flies don’t spread further throughout the hotel. As soon as our team saw the flies, we immediately sent pest control there to minimize the number of flies entering the hotel.”
She also explained how the hotel has long been doing its part to minimize waste production and confirmed that the trash piles have nothing to do with the hotel.
Pirawitnawati shared, “We use glass for drinking water in our rooms to reduce plastic waste. We also recycle organic waste into fertilizer for our plants. We use glass for drinking water in our rooms to reduce plastic waste. We also recycle organic waste into fertilizer for our plants. We have a vendor for our trash. So, we can confirm that the trash in front of the hotel is not ours.”
The hotel and the Kuta Traditional Village are now coordinating efforts to install more CCTV across the hotel and the surrounding Kuta Beach area to catch the culprits who are dumping waste and improve the overall security of the area. She concluded, “It’s true, there are some individuals who dump trash here because it’s a public space. That’s why the village head, Legian Traditional Village, and Kuta Village are planning to install CCTV so we can identify the perpetrators.”
Separately, officers from Bali’s Civil Police, Satpol PP, have confirmed that they will be taking legal action against those found to be dumping trash in public areas and tourism resorts.
Badung Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) Chief I Gusti Agung Ketut Suryanegara told reporters, “We have processed violations all the way to trial, with various stages and approvals. In our lawsuit, we even proposed a fine of up to IDR 10 million. However, in reality, violators were only fined IDR 100,000.”
Though he noted that fines may not be the most effective measure in the long term, noting “The process is long, and it’s not easy to get to trial. But when the result is only Rp 100,000, of course, we consider looking for other, more effective measures.”
He concluded, “We want a real deterrent effect. With on-site trials, the public can directly see the consequences of these violations. We hope this measure will receive support from various parties, including other law enforcement officials, so that efforts to maintain environmental cleanliness in the Badung area can be more optimal.”
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