There are just a few days left before the main garbage mountain of the island is closed, but officials' confidence seems to have wavered. The Chairman of Bali's Regional Parliament (DPRD), Dewa Made Mahayadnya, known as Dewa Jack, openly stated that if the closure fails, the decision will be reversed. If alternative sites cannot handle the waste flow, the landfill gates must be reopened. Moreover, it will operate using the most primitive method — open dumping.
The closure deadline is set for December 23, 2025. Many experts admit that the timing is extremely inconvenient: it's the rainy season and peak tourist period in Bali right before the holidays. Any disruption in garbage removal threatens disaster.
The government is urgently holding coordination meetings. The governor, mayor, and regents are trying to figure out if local stations (TPST) and modern compost pits (teba) can handle the load. Even the Ministry of Environment has joined in the search for solutions.
The situation is most difficult in Denpasar – the city produces 1,020 tons of garbage daily. Mayor I Gusti Ngurah Jaya Negara admitted: more than half of this amount cannot currently be processed. Existing capacities are insufficient. As an emergency measure, the city rents 60 garbage trucks. However, there is a condition: the trucks will only be used if a temporary dumping site other than Suwung is found. To avoid reliance on the old landfill, Denpasar authorities allocated 150 billion rupiah to purchase 3 hectares of land in the Pesanggaran area. They plan to build their facility there.
The main issue across the island is the lack of a full-fledged replacement for the giant landfill right now. The waste-to-energy plant (PSEL) exists only in a project phase. Dewa Jack confirmed that the construction is only at the tender stage.
Construction of this plant will start only in 2026. Six hectares have been allocated for it in the Pelindo port area. The launch is planned for no earlier than 2027. Meanwhile, tons of daily garbage need to be disposed of starting next week.
The opposition in parliament calls the situation a dangerous gamble. Deputies warn about the infrastructure's unpreparedness. Grace Anastasia Surya Wijaya fears that garbage on the streets will ruin Bali's image.
Governor Wayan Koster, meanwhile, is not inclined to heed the warnings. He insists that in any case, on December 23, Bali's main landfill will cease operations.
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