Bandung Waste Management: Universities to Help Reduce City’s 1,500 Ton Daily Output
Bandung Enlists Universities in Ambitious Waste Management Overhaul
Bandung, Indonesia – The city of Bandung is launching a comprehensive waste management program, partnering with local universities to address a growing crisis. The initiative, announced Wednesday, February 25, 2026, aims to leverage academic expertise and student involvement to improve waste processing and reduce landfill reliance.
Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Brian Yuliarto, pledged support for the Bandung City Government during a visit to City Hall. He highlighted Bandung’s unique advantage: a robust network of universities and a large student population. “Campuses will be involved in mapping needs, infrastructure, business model studies, community education, and sending students through thematic KKN,” Yuliarto stated, referring to the *Kuliah Kerja Nyata* (real-world lecture) program, a form of field study.
The collaborative approach will focus on identifying optimal solutions for composting, maggot processing, biodigesters, and Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) production, linking these processes to existing supply chains. Yuliarto emphasized the cost-effectiveness of this model, suggesting it’s more efficient than investing in large-scale waste-to-energy facilities, which can cost between Rp2-3 trillion per unit.
Bandung is one of five cities selected as a pilot project for this university-led waste management strategy, alongside Bogor, Tangerang, Purwokerto, and Yogyakarta. If successful, the program is slated for nationwide implementation next year.
The initiative will involve a multi-sectoral approach, encompassing universities, the central government, the city government, and the military/police, with a particular focus on supervising waste management practices in the hotel, restaurant, cafe, and market sectors. Law enforcement and incentive programs are also planned.
According to Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan, the city generates 1,507.85 tons of waste daily, with approximately 60 percent originating from households, largely consisting of food waste and leaves. However, current waste management infrastructure only effectively handles about 21.63 percent of that waste through sorting, processing, and utilization, with the remainder ending up in landfills or improperly disposed of in the environment.
To bolster waste collection and education, the city government has launched the “Gaslah” program, recruiting 1,590 officers to be stationed in each neighborhood unit (RW) across Bandung. These officers will be responsible for educating residents about proper organic waste collection and transportation, with a target of collecting at least 25 kilograms of organic waste per day per officer. The program is backed by an annual budget of up to Rp24 billion and will be monitored digitally in real-time to assess performance.
Farhan stressed the importance of integrating the Gaslah program with existing initiatives like Kang Pisman, Buruan Sae, and Dapur Sehat Atasi Stunting, aiming to create a circular ecosystem where organic waste is processed into compost or maggot feed for urban farming, benefiting local residents. “This is the primary circular Bandung. We are building a culture, not just technology,” he said.
A key objective of the program is to reduce per capita waste generation. Currently, Bandung residents produce 0.58 kilograms of waste per day, and the city aims to lower that figure to below 0.4 kilograms per day. Farhan underscored the critical role of public awareness in achieving this goal, stating, “If awareness is not built, whatever the technology, it will fail.”