Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – The Ministry of Environment (KLH) has officially signed a ministerial enforcement letter addressed to regents, mayors, and governors responsible for managing 37 final waste processing sites (TPA), ordering them to stop open dumping practices as of Monday. Meanwhile, three other TPAs will be further investigated for potential criminal charges due to the severe environmental pollution caused by open dumping.
“The government is making gradual efforts to stop the open dumping system because it has led to various pollution issues,” said Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofiq during a press conference at his office in Jakarta on Monday, March 10, 2025.
The Ministry of Environment has recorded a total of 550 final waste processing sites (TPAs) managed by local governments across Indonesia. Out of this number, 343 TPAs still use the open dumping system, with 286 managed by district governments, 51 by city governments, and six at the provincial or regional level.
“What we are stopping is the practice of open dumping, which, according to the mandate of Law No. 18/2008, was supposed to be discontinued as early as 2013,” said the Minister of Environment.
Minister Hanif explained that there are two approaches to stopping open dumping activities. First, halting open dumping operations while maintaining site functions. Second, completely shutting down TPAs.
Once the letter is received, Hanif stated, local governments managing the TPAs must prepare steps to stop open dumping activities. The first step is ensuring that each TPA has environmental approval documents that comply with proper waste management standards.
Hanif further instructed the relevant local governments to develop rehabilitation plans for areas affected by open dumping and to establish new sanitary landfill zones. Open dumping practices will only be fully halted after these steps are completed.
“As of now, out of 550 TPAs, only around 110 have implemented sanitary landfill systems,” said Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofiq.
