Residents on Indonesia’s Bali resort to burning trash after landfill ban on organic waste
Near-capacity Suwung landfill stopped taking organic waste, which makes up about two-thirds of all rubbish in Bali, from April 1
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.
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.