How the rule works
TPA Suwung is south Bali's main landfill, serving Denpasar and nearby areas. It now runs a schedule by waste type. On Mondays and Thursdays trucks may only bring organic waste, which goes to a separate zone.
Catur Yuda Hariani, director of PPLH Bali, an environmental education centre, spotted the violations during a workshop for journalists.
What actually happens
Organic waste sits on top of the load, with mixed rubbish underneath. Bali Post notes that a truck holds about 3 tonnes, so checking the whole load at the gate is close to impossible.
PPLH says households still do not sort their waste and collectors lack sorting facilities. There are also too few inspectors to check the trucks.
As a result, the organic-day rule works mostly on paper for now.
The scale
According to ANTARA, an average of 591 trucks a day came to the landfill between 21 and 27 September 2026. Net waste averaged 1,320 tonnes a day, peaking at 1,689 tonnes on Thursday.
Hariani warns that mixing organic waste with other rubbish increases methane output, which raises the risk of landfill fires.
The organic staging areas at the landfill are also already contaminated by mixed waste delivered earlier. Clearing them takes time and money.
What the group proposes
PPLH wants Denpasar to build a TPST, an integrated waste processing site, for organic waste only, so that it never reaches the landfill. It also suggests setting up compost buyers to close the loop. These are proposals, and no decision has been announced.