Menko Pangan Highlights Stick and Carrot Waste Management
Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan called for a stick-and-carrot waste management approach, combining stricter enforcement with incentives to stop open dumping and push waste handling closer to the source.
JAKARTA — Menko Pangan Highlights Stick and Carrot Waste Management as Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan urged Indonesia to combine tougher enforcement with incentives to change public behavior on trash sorting and disposal. He said the country can no longer tolerate open dumping, especially in big urban areas where waste keeps piling up.
The message carries direct consequences for residents and local governments. If the policy hardens, households and businesses that ignore sorting rules could face fines or other sanctions, while those who separate waste may get rewards or support. That shift would push cities to handle trash closer to where it is produced, instead of relying on giant dumps that keep growing year after year.
End open dumping, Zulkifli says
Zulkifli said the old habit of dumping waste into large landfill sites must end. He pointed to the legal basis now in place, saying Indonesia already has rules that prohibit open dumping and demand a more modern waste management model in every region.
“Because open dumping is no longer allowed. So later, places like Bantar Gebang will no longer be allowed. That means waste must be resolved in each area. If open dumping continues as it does now, there will be penalties, there is a law now. So yes, there must be stick and carrot, we have to force it,” Zulkifli said after attending the Jaga Jakarta Waste Sorting Alert Parade at the National Monument, or Monas, in Jakarta.
He was blunt about the risks of doing nothing. Poorly managed waste can pollute the air, contaminate groundwater, and release microplastics into the environment. Those particles can move through food and water chains, raising health concerns that extend far beyond the dump site itself.
That is where the “stick” and the “carrot” come in. The stick means fines, enforcement, and social pressure for violators. The carrot means practical incentives for people who sort waste properly and hand it over independently. For local administrations, the plan means more work on collection systems, sorting facilities, and regional processing capacity.
Technology options and local handling
The government is also preparing technical steps to deal with the waste problem. One of the tools being readied is an environmentally friendly waste incinerator that officials expect to deploy in several regions.
It is not meant only for huge disposal sites. The government wants the machines to be used in office buildings, government institutions, and even homes, which would bring waste treatment closer to the source. That approach could cut daily waste volumes before they reach overloaded landfills.
For consumers, the change would be visible fast. Sorting waste would stop being a side issue and become part of daily routines at home, in offices, and in neighborhoods. Businesses would also feel the pressure, especially if regional governments start enforcing penalties more strictly. The biggest gain would be less waste left to rot in open sites, where smoke, odors, and runoff often become a public nuisance.
Jakarta’s 9,000 tons a day
Jakarta remains one of the clearest test cases. Governor Pramono Anung, who also attended the event, said the city plans to build waste-to-energy plants, or PLTSa, at three key locations: Bantar Gebang, Tanjungan, and Sunter. The plan follows Presidential Regulation No. 112 of 2022 and Jakarta Governor Instruction No. 5 of 2026.
| Jakarta Waste Parameter | Amount / Capacity |
|---|---|
| Daily waste production | 9,000 tons/day |
| Total Bantar Gebang waste volume | 55 million tons |
| Bantar Gebang waste height | 60 meters |
“So, Jakarta’s 9,000 tons of waste per day, hopefully by next year it will already be handled properly,” Pramono said.
The long-term challenge is even bigger. Jakarta aims to start cleaning up and reducing old waste at Bantar Gebang in 2029, a task officials know will be costly and politically sensitive. The site has already reached a height of 60 meters, making it one of the most visible symbols of how fast urban waste can outgrow the systems meant to contain it.
For now, the shift Zulkifli is pushing puts every level of government on notice. The law is there. The technology is being prepared. And the real test starts when penalties and incentives move from speeches to neighborhood streets.
