Hanif urges regions to study Denpasar, Badung waste-sorting model

Denpasar — Deputy Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Hanif Faisol Nurofiq has urged local governments across Indonesia to learn from waste management efforts in Denpasar and Badung, highlighting reductions in waste sent to the Suwung landfill and school-based waste banking in the provincial capital.

Hanif made the call during a working visit to SDN 5 Pedungan in Denpasar on Thursday, 10 September 2026, where he observed the school’s “Bank Sampah Gema Pelita” programme for separating and processing waste. During the visit he said that, based on a report he received from Governor Wayan Koster, waste deliveries from Denpasar to Suwung landfill had fallen by about 70 percent compared with previous conditions.

Hanif noted that Denpasar and Badung face particular pressure on waste systems because tourism brings large numbers of visitors compared with the resident population, but he praised the two regions for moving ahead with source-based waste management despite those pressures.

The 70 percent reduction figure was presented as part of the Bali provincial government’s report to the minister and was attributed to increased waste separation and processing at the source in Denpasar and Badung. Local officials and Hanif linked the progress to household-level sorting, participation by hotels and schools, and management of organic waste close to where it is generated.

School and community waste sorting

At SDN 5 Pedungan, Hanif reviewed how students collect and sort recyclables through the Bank Sampah Gema Pelita, with older students acting as waste-management cadres and younger students as bank customers. According to the school, the programme, which has been running since 2018, has cut daily waste volumes in the school environment by around 70–90 percent and allows students to accumulate savings from the sale of recyclables.

School representatives told Hanif that non-organic waste collected through the bank is routinely sent to a third-party recycler, while organic waste is processed into eco-enzyme for use in the school garden. Hanif publicly commended the school and the Denpasar city administration for using education and incentives to build habits of waste separation among students and households.

Targets for Suwung landfill and national reforms

Hanif has previously linked the reported reduction in waste sent to Suwung to broader national efforts to end open dumping and strengthen landfill management. In April 2026 he said the environment ministry had set a deadline for all provinces, districts and cities to stop open dumping by August 2026 and complete related reforms by the end of 2026.

According to Hanif and environment ministry data, only about 30 percent of Indonesia’s 485 landfills had ended open dumping by late 2025, leaving roughly 369 sites — nearly 70 percent, including Suwung — still operating under the old method. He said the government was pushing regions to expand source-based waste handling and improve treatment capacity so that landfills receive mainly residual waste rather than fresh mixed waste.

Monitoring by the ministry and Bali authorities has indicated that more than 60 percent of residents in Denpasar and Badung now separate waste at the source, with some local officials citing a 60–70 percent level of separation in parts of Bali. In Denpasar and Badung, officials have also reported that organic waste sent to Suwung has dropped significantly as local processing capacity increases.

Adipura incentives and regional reputation

During his visit to Denpasar, Hanif said the central government would continue to support regions that improve waste management through incentives and reputational mechanisms, including the Adipura environmental award. He expressed hope that Denpasar and Badung could secure Adipura recognition in 2027 if current waste-handling reforms in Bali, initiated around 2025, are maintained and strengthened.

Hanif also urged other districts and cities to observe Bali’s approach, arguing that consistent source-based sorting, stronger enforcement and community education can significantly cut landfill burdens and support national goals to phase out open dumping.

Sources

• Tribun Bali
• detikBali
• Pantau.com
• RRI Jakarta
• Koran Jaya Pos