{"id":6315,"date":"2026-04-03T21:34:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T13:34:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heybali.info\/news\/?p=6315"},"modified":"2026-04-03T21:34:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T13:34:15","slug":"balis-suwung-landfill-turns-away-trucks-on-day-three-of-organic-waste-ban-drivers-confused-officials-exhausted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heybali.info\/news\/balis-suwung-landfill-turns-away-trucks-on-day-three-of-organic-waste-ban-drivers-confused-officials-exhausted\/","title":{"rendered":"Bali’s Suwung Landfill Turns Away Trucks on Day Three of Organic Waste Ban: Drivers Confused, Officials Exhausted"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

DENPASAR<\/strong> \u2013 Three days into Bali’s bold experiment to shut its main landfill to organic waste, the scene outside Suwung tells a story of good intentions meeting messy reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Friday morning, April 3, 2026, dozens of garbage trucks lined the roads of South Denpasar. One by one, they crept toward the gate. One by one, most were sent back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The policy, effective April 1, forbids Suwung from accepting any organic waste. Only anorganik<\/em> (inorganic) and residu<\/em> (residual, non-recyclable) material may enter. But on the ground, the line between “clean” and “contaminated” is proving difficult to draw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No Tolerance, No Exceptions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I Putu Agus Juliartawan, Head of the Waste Management Unit at Bali’s Forestry and Environment Agency, was firm when speaking at the landfill Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If organic waste is found, we immediately order the truck to turn around,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no grace period. No warnings. No second chances at the gate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To ensure compliance, a rotating team of environment agency officers works alongside police, military, and Satpol PP (municipal police) personnel. Officers change shifts every two hours. The inspection never stops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each truck that passes through\u2014whether approved or rejected\u2014receives written documentation from the officers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Driver’s Dilemma: An Orange Peel, A Bone, and A U-Turn<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ferdy, a driver from the Banjar Brawa waste management forum in Canggu, Badung, arrived at Suwung believing he had done his job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We already sorted everything before loading,” he told reporters. “But they still found a little bit of orange peel and some bones. They told us to go back.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His story was not unique. Drivers across the region report spending hours sorting waste at source, only to be rejected for trace amounts of organic contamination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juliartawan offered no alternative. Trucks that fail inspection have only one option: return to the waste’s origin and sort again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Exhausted Official, A Missing Explanation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When reporters approached Made Dwi Arbani, Head of Bali’s Environment and Forestry Agency, at the landfill, his body language spoke louder than words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His face appeared tired. Asked whether drivers understood that waste must be sorted before arrival, he gave a brief, almost defeated response:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“They should know by now.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He then crossed his arms\u2014a signal that he was done explaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a policy this transformative, the absence of clear, proactive communication from the top is notable. Drivers are not refusing to sort. They are confused about how well<\/em> they must sort. And no one, it seems, has given them a definitive answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Collage

Collage Photo of Suwung Bali Landfill and the quiet activity at the Suwung entrance on April 1, 2026 at 00.00 WITA (Hey Bali)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Bigger Picture: Why Suwung Is Closing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Governor Wayan Koster has been clear about the long-term goal. Suwung’s closure is not a punishment. It is a transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The landfill has received waste from Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar, and Tabanan (the Sarbagita region) for years. But the model is unsustainable. Organic waste in landfills produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Leachate contaminates groundwater. And the mountain of trash grows taller every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new policy is being implemented in phases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date<\/td>Action<\/td><\/tr><\/thead>
March 31, 2026<\/td>Last day for organic waste acceptance<\/td><\/tr>
April 1, 2026<\/td>Only inorganic and residual waste allowed<\/td><\/tr>
Until August 31, 2026<\/td>Transition period before total closure<\/td><\/tr>
Early 2028<\/td>Target operation date for new waste-to-energy plant<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Solution: PSEL \u2013 Waste-to-Energy by 2028<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bali’s provincial government is betting on technology to solve what behavior change alone cannot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 6-hectare plot of land, owned by state port operator PT Pelindo, has been designated for a Pengolahan Sampah menjadi Energi Listrik<\/em> (PSEL) facility\u2014a waste-to-energy plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key specifications:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n