Developing Integrated Sustainable Waste Management in Indonesia

By Mochamad Satya Oktamalandi (Andik) CLOCC Project Manager, InSWA (Indonesian Solid Waste Association)

Andik (right) at a BSF facility in Banyuwangi

When we first began work with the CLOCC programme in Indonesia, we knew we were stepping into a complex and urgent challenge. Indonesia is a vast country with significant economic, governance and cultural differences. It is understandable, in this context, that getting waste management right is a major challenge. Waste management is complex, under-resourced, and overlooked. It’s an issue that reaches into public health, environmental protection, tourism, agriculture, and even social stability. When there are no public services, informal methods of clearing waste management often come into practice.

But five years on, CLOCC has helped plant the seeds of system change in three pilot regencies: Banyuwangi, Tabanan, and Tegal. Our approach, grounded in the principles of Integrated Sustainable Waste Management (ISWM) and participatory planning, has shown that even in lower and middle-income regions, it’s possible to design and implement locally-owned, effective waste systems that improve lives and protect the environment.

A First In Indonesia

One of CLOCC’s major accomplishments has been the development of Indonesia’s first-ever Solid Waste Management SWM masterplan built around these ISWM principles: the Banyuwangi Waste Management Masterplan. This document has become a formal regulation (Regent Decree), that means that it must be followed and implemented. It is hoped that Tegal regency will follow in Banyuwangi’s footsteps to formalise the plan that was launched last year.

Each masterplan is built with a 20-year horizon and broken down into four 5-year action plans aligned with local government planning cycles. This structure ensures both relevance and that it is incorporated into government planning documents.

Handing over the waste masterplan to Banyuwangi Regency

Transforming Services, Reaching the Unreached

CLOCC is currently working to improve waste management services in 27 villages across Banyuwangi, Tabanan, and Tegal. Many of these villages never had formal waste collection before. These improvements have had direct impacts: reduced illegal dumping, increased recycling, composting of organic waste, job opportunities, better community health.  With CLOCC’s inclusive approach, more local stakeholders feel empowered to participate in the waste system. It is made sure that they understand the plan, they are willing to follow the plan and educate to the next generation to follow its principles.

Before these interventions, waste systems were informal, inconsistent, and often unregulated. Households disposed of waste however they could: burning, burying, dumping. Law enforcement was rare, and conflicts over dumping or facility siting were common. In some areas, basic governance questions like who should operate and fund waste services had no clear answers.

But after five years of engagement with local governments and communities in Indonesia, we are seeing growing local capacity, strong community engagement, and a shift in mindset: that waste systems are public services worthy of investment and long-term planning.

Building with What Works

Indonesia’s waste infrastructure varies widely. Landfills are widespread, but many function as open dumps. Informal recyclers form the backbone of the waste industry in many cities. TPS3R facilities (centres for composting, sorting, and recycling) do exist, but many are idle or under-utilised due to poor governance.

CLOCC doesn’t try to replace these systems. Instead, we diagnose what’s working, where the gaps are, and how to improve them in collaboration with the communities who use them and need them. Our planning process considers five key aspects: institutional frameworks, regulatory environments, financial systems, sociocultural dynamics, and technology. In this way, CLOCC supports system transformation, not just service delivery.

Participatory Planning Takes Time

One of the most powerful lessons from CLOCC is that how you plan matters just as much as what you plan. Planning is not top-down or outsourced, it is collaborative, iterative, and inclusive. Whilst it takes time, it puts the necessary blocks in place to build capacity, ownership, and buy-in.

This means involving everyone: community members, youth groups, informal workers, village leaders, local government agencies, and national policymakers. We begin with informal conversations and personal relationships, but over time we formalize this in collaboration with government agencies. This approach takes time, but it builds legitimacy. What it means is that when a solid waste masterplan is finalized, all stakeholders who use and need the waste system are ready and willing to implement.

In Banyuwangi, we helped establish a local foundation (Rijig Pradana Wetan) that leads village support programs, advocates for implementation, and maintains civil society pressure to uphold the waste masterplan. This foundation is a sign of true local ownership and long-term commitment. In Banyuwangi, Tegal and Tabanan we are supporting not only the waste regulation, but exploring and identifying sustainable funding sources which will be critical for the future success of waste management in the regions.

Expanding The Programme

The influence of CLOCC is already extending beyond our three existing regions. Our methodologies have informed two national waste regulations, one technical standard, and a nationwide gap assessment of Indonesia’s waste governance systems. Several local governments have expressed interest in replicating our approach, and when we selected Tegal as a new partner, we had 14 applicants.

What We’ve Learned

CLOCC has shown that when communities are part of the solution, you get better data, better designs, and better results. But to scale this approach across Indonesia, we’ll need more trained experts, more policy support, and more finance from both public and private sources.

We’re now developing a guidebook for SWM master planning using the CLOCC approach.

But methodologies alone won’t scale systems. What we really need is sustained support, local champions, long-term capacity building, and a broader recognition that waste systems can deliver not only clean streets but also jobs, public health, and environmental protection.

To other funders and partners, our message is this: don’t just export technologies but invest in local people and processes. Let local communities take the lead and give them the time and resources to grow their own solutions.

For me CLOCC has been a leap forward in how we understand and practice sustainable waste management. The ISWM framework and participatory principles are not just principles, they are being applied in real-world settings.