With alternative site deemed insufficient, officials aim to accelerate waste management upgrades in Denpasar and Badung.
DENPASAR, Bali — Bali’s Governor, Wayan Koster, has formally requested an extension to the mandated closure of the island’s main landfill, the Suwung Final Disposal Site (TPA Suwung), pushing the deadline from February to November 2026. The request follows an evaluation of the proposed temporary alternative site, which authorities have found inadequate for handling the volume of waste from southern Bali.
The central government, through Minister of Environment and Forestry Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, had previously ordered the closure of TPA Suwung by February 28, 2026. The directive is based on the site’s non-compliance with national waste management law (Undang-Undang No. 18/2008), primarily due to its continued use of environmentally harmful open dumping practices without waste sorting or processing.
“Based on our checks in Bangli Regency, the conditions there are not feasible; it does not meet the requirements,” Governor Koster stated on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, explaining the rationale behind the extension request. The designated temporary site in Bangli’s Landih Village is now operational but is considered insufficient as a long-term solution for the waste generated by Denpasar and Badung.
Strategic Shift Towards Integrated Processing
With the temporary Landih site active, the provincial government’s focus is shifting to strengthening waste processing infrastructure within the waste-generating regions themselves. Key initiatives include:
- Augmenting Existing Facilities: Adding waste processing machinery at the Integrated Waste Processing Sites (TPST) in Tahura and Kertalangu.
- Developing Local Solutions: Constructing several Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Waste Processing Sites (TPS3R) across the Denpasar area to manage waste at a community level.
- Long-term Project: Advancing the development of a Waste-to-Energy Power Plant (PSEL), with completion targeted for 2028. This facility is seen as a critical, long-term solution for sustainable waste management on the densely populated island.
The situation highlights the complex logistical and environmental challenges Bali faces in transitioning from a centralized, dumping-based system to a modern, processed-based waste management framework. The requested extension aims to provide the necessary time to build this critical infrastructure and avoid a public health or environmental crisis.
For residents, businesses, and the tourism sector, the developments signal an ongoing period of transition for Bali’s waste management, with the ultimate goal of a more sustainable system on the horizon.
Hey Bali News will continue to follow this critical infrastructure story and its implications for the island’s environment and communities.