The development of landfill operation and management in Indonesia

The enactment of the Waste Act in 2008 represents a milestone in Indonesian waste management legislation, particularly in relation to landfill operation and management. The act requires landfill operators to close open dumps and replace them with new landfills that must operate in an environmentally sound manner. This paper investigates current landfill operation and management practices in Indonesia, highlights shortcomings with respect to the requirements of the act, and discusses potential solutions that may improve the current practice. For this purpose, 12 municipal solid-waste landfills in major cities have been investigated. The results of this investigation indicate that all of the observed landfills operated as controlled dumps rather than sanitary sites as required by the act. The main reasons for these non-satisfactory landfilling practices are the insufficient financial resources for landfill operation and management, and scavenging activities at the sites. These problems could be alleviated through generating revenue from recycling materials separated at the landfill site. Formalizing waste recycling by licensing scavengers and buying out the recyclables by the landfill operator could generate essential revenues for a more environmentally friendly landfill operation and management.