The continued growth of population and economic activity in Jakarta has led to an increasing volume of waste, making it a serious issue.

The government is considered to need a comprehensive and thorough approach to handling the waste problem.

Urban planning observer M. Azis Muslim said that so far, waste issues have often been highlighted from the downstream side, namely the Integrated Waste Processing Site (TPST) Bantargebang in Bekasi, West Java.

In fact, according to him, handling should begin upstream, or at the source of the waste, such as households.

“Waste sources can come from household, industrial, and commercial activities. If we want to fully resolve the problem, interventions must be carried out sustainably from the source,” Azis said when contacted on Thursday (April 16, 2026).

He noted that TPST Bantargebang is currently over capacity and can no longer accommodate large volumes of waste, including those from surrounding buffer areas.

Therefore, Azis suggested that the Jakarta Provincial Government seek alternative locations for waste processing or disposal.

“This capacity issue can be addressed by finding new locations that can serve as TPSTs. So far, Jakarta still relies heavily on Bantargebang,” he said.

In addition, he emphasized the importance of waste sorting at the household level to make it easier for workers to manage organic and inorganic waste.

According to him, waste that still has economic value can be reused by both the community and waste management personnel.

“Inorganic waste, for example, can generate economic value. Meanwhile, existing challenges also lie in volume, timing, and transportation routes,” he explained.

Azis added that downstream problems are highly dependent on upstream conditions. Therefore, community participation is key in waste management.

He also encouraged the government to promote waste bank programs down to the neighborhood (RT/RW) level.

For commercial areas such as markets, Azis suggested processing organic waste using biodigester or maggot technology.

“Organic waste can be utilized as animal feed or fertilizer. Therefore, processing units need to be established at the source,” he concluded. (m26)

Source https://wartakota.tribunnews.com/jakarta/887311/pengamat-penanganan-sampah-jakarta-harus-dimulai-dari-hulu