Bali is expecting a questionable 'gift' for Christmas. By the decision of Governor Wayan Koster, the island's main landfill, TPA Suwung, will cease operations on December 23, 2025. It sounds like an environmental victory, as it has been in the works for a long time. However, deputies and experts are raising concerns. There is no readiness, and the island risks drowning in waste at the peak of the tourist season.
The closure of the landfill is not a sudden 'surprise' for Christmas but the culmination of a plan approved six months ago. The countdown began on May 23, 2025, when the Minister of Environment's decision to phase out the open dumping system came into force. The document gave Bali officials 180 days to prepare. The governor and district heads agreed on this schedule, so the December 23 deadline was known in advance.
City council deputies doubt that the island is prepared for this significant step. Denpasar alone generates about 1,000 tons of waste daily, and there is still no significant alternative to the landfill. The waste-to-energy plant (PSEL) in the Pelindo area has not been launched yet. This was supposed to be the main solution.
"Closing the landfill without replacement is like turning off an airplane's engine mid-air, promising to install new wings soon," said I Nengah Muliarta, an expert from Warmadewa University.
Authorities suggest residents manage on their own. The governor demands the urgent implementation of modern home compost pits (teba modern). There are also high hopes for TPS3R and TPST recycling points in villages. The main condition is that residents must separate organic waste and plastics at home. After December 23, TPA Suwung will only accept 'residual waste' (anything that cannot be composted or recycled).
Yet, here too, there are questions from deputies. They say TPS3R points are designed for sorting, not storage. Their capacity covers only 30% of the waste volume. If all 100% is sent there, the points will turn into illegal dumps in residential areas. Deputy I Wayan Mariyana Wandhira warns of chaos. He doesn't understand why close the landfill right before New Year, when the amount of waste traditionally increases.
Businesses are panicking as well. Perumda Pasar Sewakadarma manages 17 markets in Denpasar. Previously, they disposed of everything at Suwung. Now there's nowhere to take it. The markets do not have their own processing facilities. The company's director is asking for permission to incinerate waste in incinerators. But there is no approval from the authorities yet.
European experience doesn't work here. Deputy Agus Wirajaya reminds that in the Netherlands or Germany, such measures took years. They introduced taxes and gradually changed habits. Bali wants to change the system in six months.
At the same time, there's no choice. The governor’s wife and ambassador of the environmental program "Clean Environment" (Palemahan Kedas), Ni Putri Koster, stated that closing the landfill is a duty, not an option. Whether society is ready or not, the landfill will close. She believes people should urgently learn to sort waste or prepare to live among garbage bags in a few weeks.
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