Residents on Indonesia’s Bali resort to burning trash after landfill ban on organic waste

The partial closure of a major landfill site on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali is forcing thousands of residents to instead burn trash in…

The partial closure of a major landfill site on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali is forcing thousands of residents to instead burn trash in their gardens, sparking widespread environmental and health concerns.

Suwung landfill, about 10km (six miles) northeast of Denpasar International Airport, used to handle some 1,000 tonnes (1,100 tons) of rubbish a day.

As the site nears capacity, authorities said it would stop taking organic waste as of April 1 in an attempt to direct that matter instead to places where it can be composted or dealt with in a more appropriate way.

Organic waste such as household scraps, spoiled produce and leftover food from the island’s hundreds of hotels and beach clubs was one of Suwung’s biggest challenges.

A pile of waste materials is seen at Bali’s Kuta beach during the Eid al-Fitr holidays on March 25. Photo: EPA

Once in landfill, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Organic waste accounts for about two-thirds of all waste produced in Bali.

But with few other disposal options, people have started burning the rubbish, or dumping more of it in rivers or along the roadside.

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