Non-organic waste from Bali's capital will be collected every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. On the other days—Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday—special trucks will pick up organic waste.
Sorting is now mandatory. Otherwise, the garbage simply won’t be collected. This rule came into effect on October 1, 2024, following a decision by the Denpasar city authorities and the Department of Environment and Hygiene (LHK).
The head of the Waste and Waste Disposal Department, I Ketut Adi Wiguna, described the waste situation in Bali as critical— the Suwung landfill is overfilled, which has led to occasional fires, and TPST waste collection centers have been closed due to numerous violations. As a result, he believes mandatory waste sorting at home should be introduced immediately. This step will help prevent the accumulation of non-biodegradable waste.
“Garbage collection must follow the schedule, and we expect the transportation to be timely. But if household waste is not sorted, it will not be collected,” said Adi Wiguna.
He clarified that two zones for waste have now been established at the Suwung landfill: one for organic waste and one for non-organic waste.
The head of the village of Panjer, I Putu Budi Ari Wibawa, added:
“Local governance must play an active role in implementing this program because by strictly adhering to the transport schedule, residents will more willingly follow the existing rules,” said Budi Ari.
Budi Ari also emphasized the importance of cooperation between all parties, including the village, environmental protection officials, landfill administrators, community groups, and local residents.
“We hope that through this cooperation, the community will understand and implement the new rules to effectively address the waste problem in Denpasar,” he said.
Violating the garbage collection schedule can now even lead to criminal charges. Mayor of Denpasar, Jaya Negara, has promised to impose such penalties after an illegal dump on one of the streets overflowed to the point that it blocked traffic. This happened because local residents were dumping garbage outside of collection hours, leaving the collectors unable to keep up. Now, waste not only needs to be taken out on time but also properly sorted. Otherwise, it won’t be collected, and it will pile up at the house.
Separate waste collection is just one possible solution to Bali’s waste problem. Another hope of local authorities is cooperation with Chinese entrepreneurs who are preparing to build a waste incineration plant on the island. This plant is expected to process up to 2,250 tons of waste per day and convert it into useful energy.
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