Indonesia's Hazardous Waste Management Framework: Current Status, Challenges, and Strategic Pathways for Sustainable Implementation

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Executive Summary

Indonesia's hazardous and toxic waste (B3) management system continues advancing through regulatory refinements, institutional capacity building, and technology adoption, yet substantial implementation gaps persist between policy frameworks and operational realities. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) released Regulation Number 9 of 2024 on July 1, 2024, strengthening comprehensive management frameworks for waste containing hazardous materials. This regulation distinguishes clearly between sampah B3 (household hazardous waste from everyday activities) and limbah B3 (industrial hazardous waste from production processes), each requiring tailored management approaches.¹

Current data reveals significant management challenges across sectors. Healthcare facilities generated 573,890 tons of B3 waste in 2023 from 6,461 companies, yet only 85,650 tons received proper management according to regulations, leaving approximately 85% inadequately handled. This represents substantial deterioration from 2022 when 726,810 tons were generated with merely 48,460 tons managed (6.7%), and contrasts with 2021 when 107,820 tons generated achieved 43,190 tons managed (40.1%).² These statistics from Indonesia's Central Bureau of Statistics Environmental Statistics 2024 report underscore urgent needs for infrastructure expansion, enforcement strengthening, and capacity enhancement supporting compliant B3 waste management across economic sectors.

Academic research consistently identifies law enforcement deficits as fundamental obstacle to effective B3 waste management. Recent jurnal studies document patterns of non-compliance with regulatory requirements, inadequate monitoring and inspection capabilities, weak penalty structures failing to deter violations, and coordination gaps between national and local enforcement authorities. This enforcement weakness creates environments where generators avoid proper management costs through illegal disposal or informal handling, undermining regulatory frameworks regardless of policy quality.³ Addressing these systemic challenges requires integrated approaches strengthening legal frameworks, institutional capacity, technology adoption, public awareness, and stakeholder collaboration.

The regulatory framework establishes comprehensive obligations for waste generators, temporary storage operators, collectors, transporters, and treatment facility managers. Commercial buildings including hotels, malls, and apartments must obtain B3 waste permits when generating over 50 kg annually, while schools, offices, and similar facilities require permits at 20 kg annual generation thresholds. Distributors and industrial facilities face permit requirements regardless of generation volumes given higher hazard potentials.⁴ However, implementation analysis reveals substantial compliance gaps particularly among small and medium enterprises lacking awareness, resources, or technical capacity for meeting regulatory obligations, necessitating targeted capacity building and enforcement interventions.

Regulatory Framework Evolution: Permen LHK No. 9/2024 and Current Legal Architecture

Indonesia's B3 waste regulatory architecture combines foundational environmental laws with implementing regulations addressing specific management aspects. Government Regulation No. 22/2021 on Environmental Protection and Management provides overarching framework for hazardous waste governance, establishing management principles, institutional responsibilities, and enforcement mechanisms. This regulation designated specific waste categories as B3 through Annex IX lists while setting test parameters determining B3 classifications in Annexes X and XI enabling systematic identification of materials requiring specialized handling.⁵

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry issued Regulation No. 6/2021 on April 1, 2021, establishing detailed procedures and requirements for B3 waste management. This comprehensive regulation spanning 14 chapters, 237 articles, and 29 annexes replaced several previous regulations including Ministry of Environment Regulation No. 18/2009 on permit procedures, Ministry of Environment and Forestry Regulation No. 63/2016 on storage requirements, and multiple other implementing rules. The regulation specifies generation reduction obligations, storage facility requirements, collection and transportation procedures, treatment and disposal standards, permit application processes, reporting requirements, and technical certification frameworks.⁵

Permen LHK No. 9/2024 issued July 1, 2024, represents significant advancement clarifying management frameworks for waste containing hazardous materials. The regulation distinguishes sampah B3 as solid waste from everyday human activities or natural processes containing B3 materials, including household products with hazardous content no longer in use, empty containers previously holding B3 products, unused electronic devices, and other discarded products or packaging containing hazardous materials. Conversely, limbah B3 encompasses waste generated from industrial, agricultural, or production activities, existing in liquid, gas, or solid forms and often including chemicals or hazardous materials requiring specialized industrial treatment.¹

The regulation establishes requirements for Specific Waste Management Facilities (FPSS) and Temporary Storage for B3 Waste (TPSSS-B3) ensuring proper handling infrastructure. Ministers, governors, and local authorities hold responsibilities for providing FPSS facilities, either directly or through licensed businesses, with facilities built newly or adapted from existing waste infrastructure provided they obtain B3 waste management licenses. Managers of residential, commercial, industrial, and special zones must provide TPSSS-B3 for temporary storage, with existing facilities serving this purpose if complying with B3 waste management regulations. Both facility types must meet strict design and operational standards including emergency equipment, proper signage, safe storage systems preventing pollution, clear organizational structures, collection and processing procedures, and detailed waste records.¹

Current Management Status and Performance Data

Comprehensive assessment of Indonesia's B3 waste management performance reveals substantial gaps between generation volumes and proper management capacity across sectors. Healthcare facilities represent well-documented example given reporting requirements and health sector oversight. In 2023, 6,461 healthcare companies generated 573,890 tons of B3 waste, yet only 85,650 tons (14.9%) received management according to regulations, leaving approximately 488,240 tons inadequately handled. This represents concerning decline from 2021 when 40.1% of generated waste achieved proper management, though 2022 saw even lower 6.7% management rates amid substantially higher generation.²

Evaluation studies of environmental management performance for B3 waste processing in Indonesia identify multiple systemic challenges affecting management effectiveness. Research published in Jurnal VENUS 2025 assesses management methods, regulatory compliance levels, and operational challenges facing B3 waste facilities nationwide. The study documents significant variations in management quality across regions and facility types, with larger urban facilities generally achieving better compliance than smaller provincial operations. Technical capacity limitations, financing constraints, and inconsistent regulatory oversight emerge as primary factors explaining performance disparities.⁶

National waste generation reached 69.9 million tons in 2023 according to KLHK, increasing from 68.5 million tons in 2022, with household sector contributing largest share including food waste (41.60%), plastic (18.71%), wood or branches (11.31%), paper (10.72%), and metal (3.36%). Director General of Waste, Waste, and B3 Management Rosa Vivien Ratnawati acknowledged that waste management faces persistent challenges with many people not reducing and sorting waste properly. Analysis estimates Indonesia will only achieve freedom from sorted waste imports around 2030s, requiring substantial effort, with approximately 30% of unmanaged waste still dumped into environment if targets are not realized.⁷

Regional variations in waste management capacity create disparities in B3 handling effectiveness. Bali Province generated 1.2 million tons of total waste in 2024 according to National Waste Management Information System (SIPSN), with Denpasar City contributing approximately 360,000 tons dominated by organic waste from food waste and wood branches reaching 68.32%. I Made Dwi Arbani, Head of Division of Waste Management, Hazardous Waste, Pollution Control and Environmental Damage at DKLH Bali Province, noted Bali faces significant challenges including overcapacity in landfills, limited available land, and yearly increases in waste volumes. The province transitions from linear waste management systems reliant on landfills toward sustainable circular economy approaches, with Bali Economic Kerthi Roadmap 2045 targeting 100% waste management achievement.⁸

Urban Household B3 Waste Management: Challenges and Solutions

Household hazardous waste (sampah B3 rumah tangga) presents distinct management challenges from industrial waste given diffuse generation sources, mixed waste stream characteristics, limited public awareness, and inadequate collection infrastructure. Research published in Jurnal JEBE examines urban household B3 waste management conditions, identifying challenges and recommending system improvements. The study documents that household hazardous waste including batteries, electronic components, fluorescent lamps, pesticide containers, cleaning products, and expired medicines frequently enters general waste streams due to lack of segregation at source, absence of dedicated collection services, and insufficient public understanding of proper handling requirements.⁹

The research identifies several systemic barriers hindering effective household B3 waste management. First, awareness gaps among general public regarding hazardous characteristics of common household products and proper disposal methods create behavioral challenges. Most households dispose batteries, light bulbs, and electronic waste together with general refuse lacking understanding of environmental and health risks. Second, collection infrastructure remains inadequate with limited availability of drop-off centers, mobile collection programs, or retailer take-back schemes facilitating proper disposal. Urban residents frequently cite inconvenience and lack of accessible collection points as primary reasons for improper disposal practices.⁹

Recommended solutions emphasize integrated approaches combining infrastructure development, behavior change initiatives, and regulatory strengthening. Establishing neighborhood-level collection centers with convenient access and clear signage can dramatically improve proper disposal rates compared to expecting households to transport waste to distant facilities. Retailer participation through take-back programs leveraging existing customer flows provides convenient disposal options while assigning appropriate responsibility to producers and distributors benefiting from hazardous product sales. Public education campaigns must employ multiple channels including schools, community organizations, traditional and social media, and direct household engagement building awareness and changing disposal behaviors over time.

Law Enforcement Deficits and Compliance Gaps

Academic research consistently identifies weak law enforcement as fundamental barrier to effective B3 waste management in Indonesia despite comprehensive regulatory frameworks. A 2024 study published in Jurnal Customary Law analyzes ineffective B3 waste management resulting from enforcement deficits, documenting patterns of regulatory non-compliance and proposing strengthened enforcement mechanisms. The research finds that existing penalty structures insufficient to deter violations, monitoring and inspection capabilities inadequate for detecting non-compliance, prosecution processes cumbersome and lengthy, and institutional coordination weak between environmental agencies and law enforcement authorities.³

The study documents several manifestations of enforcement weakness creating permissive environments for non-compliance. Generators frequently avoid obtaining required permits, skip proper waste characterization and documentation, use unlicensed transporters and disposal sites, fail to submit mandatory reports, and ignore storage safety requirements without facing meaningful consequences. Treatment facilities sometimes accept waste exceeding licensed capacities, employ substandard processing methods, or conduct illegal discharges when proper disposal proves economically burdensome. These violations persist partly because detection probabilities remain low given limited inspection resources relative to numbers of regulated entities, and partly because penalties when violations are detected prove insufficiently severe to offset economic incentives for non-compliance.³

Recommended enforcement improvements span multiple dimensions. First, strengthening monitoring capabilities through increased inspection frequency, improved targeting using risk-based approaches, enhanced documentation and evidence gathering, and deployment of technology including remote sensing and electronic tracking systems. Second, reforming penalty structures to increase sanctions substantially, ensuring penalties exceed non-compliance economic benefits, accelerating prosecution processes, and introducing administrative penalties for rapid enforcement alongside criminal procedures. Third, improving institutional coordination through inter-agency task forces, clear responsibility delineation, information sharing platforms, and joint operations combining environmental and law enforcement authorities. Fourth, building enforcement capacity through staff training, technical expertise development, legal support provision, and adequate resource allocation supporting effective oversight.

Sector-Specific Management Challenges: Terminals, Industry, and Healthcare

Different economic sectors face distinct B3 waste management challenges requiring tailored solutions. Research published in Jurnal Arsitektur Teknik 2025 evaluates B3 waste management at terminals and industrial facilities using systematic assessment methodologies. The study identifies transportation terminals including bus stations, train stations, ports, and airports as significant B3 waste generators through maintenance operations producing waste oils and lubricants, vehicle batteries, contaminated cleaning materials, and hazardous chemicals from facility operations. However, terminal operators often lack dedicated B3 waste management programs, treating hazardous materials as general waste or disposing through informal channels without proper treatment.¹⁰

Industrial facilities present more complex B3 waste profiles given diverse production processes, chemical usage, and waste stream characteristics. Chemical plants and hospitals represent particularly challenging cases given high hazard potentials and specialized treatment requirements. Research published in Jurnal Universitas Pahlawan 2024 examines waste management and environmental impacts at chemical plants and hospitals, documenting significant compliance gaps and environmental pollution from improper handling. Chemical plants generate substantial volumes of process waste, contaminated equipment, expired raw materials, and off-specification products requiring careful characterization, segregation, and treatment. Hospitals produce infectious medical waste, pharmaceutical waste, chemical waste from laboratories, and radioactive materials from diagnostic procedures, each requiring specialized handling preventing disease transmission and environmental contamination.¹¹

Addressing sector-specific challenges requires targeted technical assistance, capacity building, and enforcement aligned with operational realities. Terminal operators need practical guidance on identifying hazardous waste streams within maintenance operations, establishing collection and storage procedures fitting terminal operational constraints, and engaging reliable licensed service providers for regular waste pickup and treatment. Chemical manufacturers require process engineering expertise optimizing production while minimizing waste generation, advanced treatment technologies managing complex waste streams, and environmental management systems integrating pollution prevention throughout operations. Healthcare facilities benefit from infection control training emphasizing waste segregation importance, simple color-coded systems minimizing sorting errors, and reliable collection services preventing waste accumulation creating health hazards.

Treatment Technologies and Environmentally Sound Management

Proper B3 waste treatment employs various technologies depending on waste characteristics, treatment objectives, and facility capabilities. General B3 waste processing overview published in Jurnal Pengolahan Limbah UNDIP 2024 describes treatment methods including physical, chemical, thermal, and biological processes applicable to different waste types. Physical treatment methods such as solidification/stabilization, encapsulation, and filtration reduce mobility and toxicity of hazardous constituents enabling safer disposal. Chemical treatment including neutralization, precipitation, oxidation/reduction, and detoxification alters chemical properties rendering waste less hazardous or enabling recovery of valuable materials.¹²

Thermal treatment technologies including incineration, pyrolysis, and gasification achieve high destruction efficiencies for organic hazardous waste, converting materials to ash, gases, and energy while requiring sophisticated pollution control systems managing air emissions. Incineration at high temperatures destroys complex organic molecules including pathogens in medical waste and toxic organic chemicals in industrial waste, with residual ash typically requiring secure landfill disposal. Biological treatment applies microorganisms degrading biodegradable hazardous organic waste including petroleum hydrocarbons, solvents, and certain pesticides, though process rates prove slower than thermal methods and applicability remains limited to biodegradable constituents.¹²

Review of environmentally friendly B3 waste processing techniques published in Jurnal Altifani 2024 emphasizes importance of selecting appropriate treatment technologies based on waste characteristics, local conditions, and sustainability considerations. The analysis advocates waste hierarchy principles prioritizing waste prevention and minimization at source, followed by reuse and recycling where feasible, then energy recovery, with disposal as last resort. Environmentally friendly approaches emphasize resource recovery extracting value from waste materials, pollution prevention minimizing releases during treatment, and life-cycle thinking considering environmental impacts across entire management chain from generation through final disposal.¹³

Technology selection requires careful assessment considering waste characteristics including physical state, chemical composition, hazard properties, and generation volumes, alongside treatment objectives such as volume reduction, toxicity reduction, resource recovery, or energy generation. Facility capabilities including available equipment, technical expertise, operational experience, and pollution control systems determine feasible treatment options. Economic factors including capital costs, operating costs, revenue from recovered materials or energy, and regulatory compliance costs influence technology viability. Environmental performance considering treatment efficiency, residual waste characteristics, emissions and discharges, and overall environmental footprint guides technology selection toward truly sustainable solutions.

Circular Economy Integration and National Action Plan

Indonesia's National Circular Economy Action Plan integrates B3 waste management within broader frameworks for resource recovery, waste reduction, and sustainable materials management. The roadmap and national action plan published by APKI 2024 outlines strategies transitioning from linear "take-make-dispose" models toward circular approaches emphasizing waste prevention, extended product lifetimes, materials reuse and recycling, and waste-to-resource conversion. B3 waste management features prominently given both environmental protection imperatives and resource recovery opportunities from valuable materials contained in hazardous waste streams including metals from electronic waste, solvents from industrial processes, and oils from waste streams.¹⁴

The circular economy framework emphasizes producer responsibility requiring manufacturers and importers to consider end-of-life management during product design and throughout product lifecycles. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes assign collection, recycling, and safe disposal obligations to producers, creating incentives for eco-design reducing hazardous content and improving recyclability. Product stewardship programs for batteries, electronics, vehicles, and other hazardous product categories establish collection networks, recycling infrastructure, and financing mechanisms supporting proper end-of-life management. These approaches shift management costs from public waste systems to producers benefiting from product sales while internalizing environmental costs into product prices influencing consumer choices toward lower-impact alternatives.¹⁴

Implementing circular economy approaches for B3 waste requires overcoming several challenges. First, economic viability of recovery operations depends on material values, processing costs, and market demand for recovered materials, with volatile commodity prices creating uncertainty affecting investment decisions. Second, technology availability and costs for advanced recycling and recovery processes may exceed capabilities of local businesses, requiring technology transfer, capacity building, and potentially subsidies bridging viability gaps. Third, regulatory frameworks must balance environmental protection objectives with circular economy promotion, ensuring recovered materials meet safety standards while avoiding requirements so stringent they preclude practical implementation. Fourth, stakeholder coordination across producers, waste generators, collectors, recyclers, and end-users proves essential but challenging given diverse interests and capabilities.

Awareness, Education, and Capacity Building Initiatives

Public awareness and education constitute fundamental elements enabling effective B3 waste management, given that appropriate handling behaviors begin with understanding hazardous characteristics, health and environmental risks, and proper management practices. Community service research published in Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat 2024 examines awareness levels regarding B3 waste management regulations in Indonesia, finding substantial knowledge gaps among general public, small businesses, and even some larger organizations regarding legal requirements and proper handling procedures. The study documents that while environmental awareness has grown generally, specific understanding of B3 waste identification, segregation requirements, storage safety, and disposal obligations remains limited, particularly outside major urban centers and among population segments with limited formal education.¹⁵

Effective awareness programs must employ diverse channels and methods reaching different audience segments. School-based environmental education introduces children to waste management concepts including hazardous materials identification and safe handling, creating foundation for appropriate behaviors throughout life while enabling children to influence household practices. Workplace training programs for employees handling hazardous materials in commercial, industrial, and institutional settings provide specific knowledge relevant to job responsibilities, emphasizing safety alongside environmental protection. Community education through neighborhood associations, religious organizations, and civil society groups reaches adult populations through trusted local channels, with peer-to-peer learning and demonstration projects proving particularly effective for behavior change.¹⁵

Capacity building extends beyond awareness to developing technical capabilities for proper B3 waste management. Small and medium enterprises often lack in-house environmental expertise, requiring external support for waste characterization, storage facility design, transporter selection, and regulatory reporting. Technical assistance programs providing free or subsidized consulting services help SMEs achieve compliance while building internal capabilities for ongoing management. Certification and training programs for waste management professionals create qualified workforce operating facilities, providing services, and supporting generator compliance. Academic institution involvement through research, curriculum development, and technical advisory services builds knowledge base supporting sector advancement.

Strategic Recommendations for Enhanced Implementation

Strengthening Indonesia's B3 waste management requires comprehensive strategies addressing identified challenges through coordinated actions across regulatory, institutional, infrastructure, enforcement, and awareness dimensions. Environmental perspective evaluation published in Jurnal Serambi Engineering 2025 synthesizes research findings into integrated recommendations for improving B3 waste management effectiveness. The analysis emphasizes that no single intervention proves sufficient; rather, multiple mutually reinforcing actions across different domains create enabling conditions for sustainable management system development.¹⁶

Priority recommendations span immediate actions addressing urgent gaps and longer-term system development building institutional capacity and infrastructure. Immediate priorities include strengthening enforcement through increased inspection frequency, higher penalties, and prosecution acceleration; expanding treatment facility capacity through accelerated permitting for compliant operators and public facility development where private capacity proves insufficient; improving public awareness through intensive campaigns emphasizing health and environmental risks; and enhancing generator support through simplified guidance, technical assistance programs, and helpline services. Medium-term priorities focus on institutional capacity building, technology development and deployment, circular economy transition support, and regulatory framework refinement based on implementation experience.¹⁶

Long-term success requires sustained political commitment maintaining B3 waste management as priority despite competing demands and political transitions. Establishing stable financing mechanisms including dedicated budget allocations, environmental funds, and cost recovery through generator fees ensures resources for infrastructure, operations, and enforcement. Building institutional capacity through workforce development, organizational strengthening, and knowledge management creates capabilities for effective program implementation. Fostering innovation through research and development, demonstration projects, and technology transfer accelerates adoption of improved management approaches. International cooperation provides access to technical expertise, financing, and best practice examples supporting continuous improvement.

Conclusions and Path Forward

Indonesia's B3 waste management system demonstrates important progress through regulatory framework development, institutional capacity building, and infrastructure expansion, yet substantial implementation gaps persist requiring sustained attention and investment. Recent regulatory advancements including Permen LHK No. 9/2024 issued July 2024 strengthen management frameworks through clearer sampah B3 and limbah B3 distinctions, detailed facility requirements, and comprehensive lifecycle management obligations. However, performance data reveals that only small fractions of generated hazardous waste receive proper management, with healthcare sector 2023 statistics showing merely 14.9% management rates despite comprehensive regulatory requirements and reporting obligations.

Core challenges span multiple dimensions including infrastructure limitations with insufficient licensed treatment facilities creating capacity bottlenecks and geographic access barriers; enforcement deficits allowing non-compliance through weak penalties, limited inspection capabilities, and slow prosecution processes; awareness gaps among generators particularly small businesses and households lacking understanding of hazardous waste identification and handling requirements; technology constraints affecting treatment facility capabilities for specialized waste streams; financing barriers limiting investments in required infrastructure and compliance measures; and coordination weaknesses between national and local authorities, across regulatory agencies, and among public and private stakeholders.

Academic research consistently emphasizes that effective B3 waste management requires integrated approaches addressing regulatory frameworks, institutional capacity, infrastructure development, enforcement effectiveness, public awareness, and stakeholder collaboration simultaneously rather than focusing narrowly on single dimensions. Law enforcement strengthening emerges as particularly urgent given that comprehensive regulations prove ineffective when violations carry low detection probabilities and insufficient penalties. Infrastructure expansion through accelerated facility licensing, public facility development where private investment lags, and technology support for improved treatment capabilities addresses capacity bottlenecks limiting proper waste handling. Awareness and capacity building targeting different stakeholder groups with tailored messages and methods creates behavioral foundations supporting regulatory compliance.

The path forward requires sustained commitment from government, businesses, civil society, and international partners working collaboratively toward improved B3 waste management protecting public health and environmental quality. Government must maintain political will for enforcement, allocate adequate resources for infrastructure and oversight, streamline regulatory processes reducing unnecessary complexity, and demonstrate leadership through public facility development and performance transparency. Businesses must recognize waste management as core operational responsibility rather than discretionary cost, invest in proper handling systems and training, engage constructively in compliance programs, and support industry self-regulation complementing government oversight. Civil society organizations play important roles in awareness raising, monitoring and advocacy, community mobilization, and independent research informing policy improvement. International cooperation provides technical expertise, financing, technology transfer, and best practice exchange accelerating Indonesia's progress toward sustainable B3 waste management supporting broader environmental protection and sustainable development objectives.