Indonesia generates 144,562 tonnes of waste daily, but only a quarter is properly managed, leaving the vast majority to be dumped in unprocessed form, the Environment Ministry has said.
An aerial photo shows garbage trucks near mounds of waste covered with protective sheeting at the Bantar Gebang landfill in Bekasi, West Java, on Aug. 2, 2026. (Antara/Darryl Ramadhan)
Indonesia generates 144,562 tonnes of waste daily, but only a quarter is properly managed, leaving the vast majority unprocessed as most landfills still rely on open dumping, the Environment Ministry has said.With 75 percent of landfills still practicing open dumping and fires breaking out at waste sites nationwide, the situation highlights the pressing need for more decisive action on a crisis long in the making.
“In 2026, we are focusing on strengthening governance, including ending open dumping, reactivating intermediate processing facilities, conducting public education and developing eco-friendly technologies," Vinda Damayanti, the ministry's deputy for waste, hazardous waste and hazardous and toxic materials reduction, told House of Representatives Commission XII, which oversees energy and mineral resources, on Monday.
