A summary of Indonesia’s laws and regulations on waste management, including municipal, hazardous and toxic, as well as plastic, is outlined below, grouped based on the type of legislations and listed in a chronological order:
Law No. 18 of 2008 on Waste Management serves as the foundation for waste management affairs in Indonesia. The law defines waste management as waste reduction and handling (Article 19), including by reducing, recycling, and reusing waste (Article 20). Furthermore, it mandates the segregation, collection, transport, and processing of waste (Article 22).
Law No. 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management covers the reduction, storage, collection, transportation, utilisation, and treatment (Article 1) of hazardous waste. Discharging waste into the environment is allowed following standards and as permitted by the Minister (Article 20), while dumping without a permit is restricted (Article 60). Importation of waste or hazardous waste is strictly prohibited (Article 69).
Government Regulation No. 81 of 2012 on Household and Household-like Waste Management focuses on the technical management of municipal solid waste, using the reduce, reuse, recycle (3R) principle. Reducing the use of plastic bags is specifically mentioned (Article 11).
Government Regulation No. 101 of 2014 on Hazardous and Toxic Waste Management outlines a detailed set of provisions for the management of hazardous waste as the implementation of Law No. 32 of 2019. The regulation guides the reduction, storage, transport, processing, dumping and trade of hazardous waste. As of now, this regulation has been repealed by Government Regulation No. 22 of 2021 on Environmental Protection, Organisation and Management
Government Regulation No. 27 of 2020 on Specific Waste Management regulates the management of waste which requires specific treatment due to its property, concentration, or volume. This includes hazardous and toxic waste, disaster waste, construction waste, and other types of waste without existing processing technology.
Government Regulation No. 22 of 2021 on Environmental Protection, Organisation and Management was developed following the adoption of Law No. 11 of 2020 on Job Creation, responding to Article 22 which revises several articles under Law No. 32 of 2009 related to pollution. It requires ministers, governors, and mayors to prevent ocean waste, especially those coming from industrial activities.
Presidential Regulation No. 18 of 2016 on the Acceleration of Waste-to-Energy Plants Development specifies the 8 locations for the development of waste-to-energy plants as part of the national strategic projects (proyek strategis nasional) aimed at managing waste, improving environmental qualities and advancing the use of renewable energy. These locations include the Jakarta Province and 7 other cities: Tangerang, Bandung, Semarang, Surakarta, Surabaya, Makassar, and Denpasar.
Presidential Regulation No. 97 of 2017 on the National Policy and Strategy on Household and Household-like Waste Management (Jakstranas) guides the reduction and handling of household and household-like waste within the period of 2017 to 2025 (Article 2 and 3). The regulation mandates local governments to establish 5-year plans in reducing and managing household and household-like waste, encompassing the initial and targeted waste generation rate, along with actions to achieve it (Article 7).
Presidential Regulation No. 35 of 2018 on the Acceleration of the Development of Waste-to-Energy Installations with Environmental-based Technology aims to create upstream-to-downstream integrated waste management to enhance public health and environmental quality, while drastically reducing the amount of waste through conversion of waste into energy (Article 2). Besides the eight regions mentioned in the previous presidential decree on waste-to-energy installations, this decree adds South Tangerang, Bekasi, Palembang, Manado, amounting to 12 cities and province in total (Article 3).
Presidential Regulation No. 83 of 2018 oversees marine debris management and originates from the Government of Indonesia’s initial target of reducing marine plastic waste by up to 70% by 2025. Comprehensive and integrated actions are needed to achieve this goal. The National Action Plan for Sea Waste Management for 2018–2025 aims to reduce the amount of waste, particularly plastic waste, in the ocean. The plan’s strategy consists of a national movement to increase awareness; encourage land- and sea-based waste management; reinforce funding, institutional, monitoring, and legal mechanisms; and promote research and development (Article 2). The institutional arrangement of the plan is described in Articles 3 to 9.
D. Ministerial Regulation
The following table outlines the list of ministerial regulations issued by two ministries: Ministry of Environment (and Forestry) and Ministry of Public Works and Housing regarding the management of household and household-like waste. It is important to note that regulations on the management of hazardous and toxic waste are not covered here.
Minister | Regulation | Description |
Minister of Environment (and Forestry)
| Outlines the eight minimum contents necessary in local ordinances concerning waste management, including permits, waste processing, financing, and public engagements. | |
No. 13 of 2012 on Guidelines for Implementing Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle through Waste Banks | Defines the requirements, mechanism, implementation, and organisers of waste banks which aim to support the practice of 3R. | |
Provides guidance for governors in establishing local leachate quality standards and licensing officers in issuing permits for leachate treatment. | ||
Establishes emission quality standards from thermal waste processing and imposes monitoring responsibilities for relevant businesses and activities. | ||
Provides guidance for local governments in implementing the Presidential Regulation No. 97 of 2017 to draft local policy and strategy for household and household-like waste management. | ||
Allocates waste management fees assistance for the 12 cities and province in which waste-to-energy plants were developed under the Presidential Regulation No. 18 of 2016 and the Presidential Regulation No. 35 of 2018. | ||
Requires producers to draft and submit waste reduction roadmaps in accordance with the extended producer responsibility (EPR) principle. | ||
No. 26 of 2020 on Bottom Ash and Fly Ash Management from Thermal Waste Processing | Imposes thermal waste processing businesses and activities with the responsibility of handling bottom ash and fly ash generated from the process. | |
Updates the Ministerial Regulation No. 13 of 2012 with more comprehensive details regarding the requirements of waste banks as well as partnerships and incentives for its operations. | ||
No. 6 of 2022 on the National Waste Management Information System | Establishes the National Waste Management Information System comprising the sources, generation, composition, and characteristics of waste. | |
Outlines the mechanism for coordination, management, and disposal of disaster waste, as well as encourages the integration disaster waste management into local disaster management contingency plans. | ||
Minister of Public Works and Housing | No. 19 of 2012 on Guidelines for Spatial Planning of Areas around Final Waste Disposal Sites | Delineates the spatial planning for areas surrounding the final waste disposal sites, with the aim of ensuring safety from air and water pollution originating from the sites. |
No. 3 of 2013 on the Implementation of Infrastructure and Facilities in Domestic Waste Disposal | Calls for an integrated waste management plant (tempat pengolahan sampah terpadu) for dumping, sorting, recycling, processing, and final processing of waste (Article 1[16]), including plastic (Article 15[5]). |
Updated as of 10 January 2025.
Government of Indonesia (2008), Law No. 18 of 2008 on Waste Management. https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC084136/ (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2009), Law No. 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management. https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC097643/ (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2012), Government Regulation No. 81 of 2012 on Household Waste and Household-like Waste Management. https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC183120/ (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2013), Regulation of the Minister of Public Works Republic of Indonesia No. 3 of 2013 on The Implementation of Infrastructure and Facilities in Handling Households Waste and Other Type of Household Waste. http://extwprlegs1.fao.org/docs/pdf/ins137639.pdf (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2014), Government Regulation No. 101 of 2014 on Hazardous and Toxic Waste Management. https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC213381/ (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2016). Presidential Regulation No. 18 of 2016 on the Acceleration of Waste-to-Energy Plants Development. https://jdih.esdm.go.id/peraturan/Perpres_Nomor_18_Tahun_2016.pdf. (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2017), Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia No. 58 of 2017 Regarding Amendments to Presidential Decree Number 3 Year 2016 on the Acceleration of the Implementation of National Strategic Project. https://sipuu.setkab.go.id/PUUdoc/175250/Peraturan%20Presiden%20Nomor%2058%20Tahun%202017.pdf (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2017), Presidential Regulation No. 97 of 2017 on the National Policy and Strategy on Household and Household-like Waste Management (Jakstranas). https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Home/Download/63709/Perpres%20Nomor%2097%20Tahun%202017.pdf (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2018), Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia No. 35 of 2018 on the Acceleration of the Development of Waste to Energy Installation with Environmental-based Technology. https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Home/Download/64446/Perpres%20Nomor%2035%20Tahun%202018.pdf (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2018), Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia No. 83 of 2018 on Marine Debris Management. https://sipuu.setkab.go.id/PUUdoc/175608/Perpres%20Nomor%2083%20Tahun%202018.pdf (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2020), Government Regulation No. 27 of 2020 on Specific Waste Management. https://peraturan.go.id/id/pp-no-27-tahun-2020 (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2021), Government Regulation No. 22 of 2021 on Environmental Protection, Organisation and Management. https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC209753/ (accessed 6 January 2025).
A summary of Indonesia’s laws and regulations on waste management, including municipal, hazardous and toxic, as well as plastic, is outlined below, grouped based on the type of legislations and listed in a chronological order:
Law No. 18 of 2008 on Waste Management serves as the foundation for waste management affairs in Indonesia. The law defines waste management as waste reduction and handling (Article 19), including by reducing, recycling, and reusing waste (Article 20). Furthermore, it mandates the segregation, collection, transport, and processing of waste (Article 22).
Law No. 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management covers the reduction, storage, collection, transportation, utilisation, and treatment (Article 1) of hazardous waste. Discharging waste into the environment is allowed following standards and as permitted by the Minister (Article 20), while dumping without a permit is restricted (Article 60). Importation of waste or hazardous waste is strictly prohibited (Article 69).
Government Regulation No. 81 of 2012 on Household and Household-like Waste Management focuses on the technical management of municipal solid waste, using the reduce, reuse, recycle (3R) principle. Reducing the use of plastic bags is specifically mentioned (Article 11).
Government Regulation No. 101 of 2014 on Hazardous and Toxic Waste Management outlines a detailed set of provisions for the management of hazardous waste as the implementation of Law No. 32 of 2019. The regulation guides the reduction, storage, transport, processing, dumping and trade of hazardous waste. As of now, this regulation has been repealed by Government Regulation No. 22 of 2021 on Environmental Protection, Organisation and Management
Government Regulation No. 27 of 2020 on Specific Waste Management regulates the management of waste which requires specific treatment due to its property, concentration, or volume. This includes hazardous and toxic waste, disaster waste, construction waste, and other types of waste without existing processing technology.
Government Regulation No. 22 of 2021 on Environmental Protection, Organisation and Management was developed following the adoption of Law No. 11 of 2020 on Job Creation, responding to Article 22 which revises several articles under Law No. 32 of 2009 related to pollution. It requires ministers, governors, and mayors to prevent ocean waste, especially those coming from industrial activities.
Presidential Regulation No. 18 of 2016 on the Acceleration of Waste-to-Energy Plants Development specifies the 8 locations for the development of waste-to-energy plants as part of the national strategic projects (proyek strategis nasional) aimed at managing waste, improving environmental qualities and advancing the use of renewable energy. These locations include the Jakarta Province and 7 other cities: Tangerang, Bandung, Semarang, Surakarta, Surabaya, Makassar, and Denpasar.
Presidential Regulation No. 97 of 2017 on the National Policy and Strategy on Household and Household-like Waste Management (Jakstranas) guides the reduction and handling of household and household-like waste within the period of 2017 to 2025 (Article 2 and 3). The regulation mandates local governments to establish 5-year plans in reducing and managing household and household-like waste, encompassing the initial and targeted waste generation rate, along with actions to achieve it (Article 7).
Presidential Regulation No. 35 of 2018 on the Acceleration of the Development of Waste-to-Energy Installations with Environmental-based Technology aims to create upstream-to-downstream integrated waste management to enhance public health and environmental quality, while drastically reducing the amount of waste through conversion of waste into energy (Article 2). Besides the eight regions mentioned in the previous presidential decree on waste-to-energy installations, this decree adds South Tangerang, Bekasi, Palembang, Manado, amounting to 12 cities and province in total (Article 3).
Presidential Regulation No. 83 of 2018 oversees marine debris management and originates from the Government of Indonesia’s initial target of reducing marine plastic waste by up to 70% by 2025. Comprehensive and integrated actions are needed to achieve this goal. The National Action Plan for Sea Waste Management for 2018–2025 aims to reduce the amount of waste, particularly plastic waste, in the ocean. The plan’s strategy consists of a national movement to increase awareness; encourage land- and sea-based waste management; reinforce funding, institutional, monitoring, and legal mechanisms; and promote research and development (Article 2). The institutional arrangement of the plan is described in Articles 3 to 9.
D. Ministerial Regulation
The following table outlines the list of ministerial regulations issued by two ministries: Ministry of Environment (and Forestry) and Ministry of Public Works and Housing regarding the management of household and household-like waste. It is important to note that regulations on the management of hazardous and toxic waste are not covered here.
Minister | Regulation | Description |
Minister of Environment (and Forestry)
| Outlines the eight minimum contents necessary in local ordinances concerning waste management, including permits, waste processing, financing, and public engagements. | |
No. 13 of 2012 on Guidelines for Implementing Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle through Waste Banks | Defines the requirements, mechanism, implementation, and organisers of waste banks which aim to support the practice of 3R. | |
Provides guidance for governors in establishing local leachate quality standards and licensing officers in issuing permits for leachate treatment. | ||
Establishes emission quality standards from thermal waste processing and imposes monitoring responsibilities for relevant businesses and activities. | ||
Provides guidance for local governments in implementing the Presidential Regulation No. 97 of 2017 to draft local policy and strategy for household and household-like waste management. | ||
Allocates waste management fees assistance for the 12 cities and province in which waste-to-energy plants were developed under the Presidential Regulation No. 18 of 2016 and the Presidential Regulation No. 35 of 2018. | ||
Requires producers to draft and submit waste reduction roadmaps in accordance with the extended producer responsibility (EPR) principle. | ||
No. 26 of 2020 on Bottom Ash and Fly Ash Management from Thermal Waste Processing | Imposes thermal waste processing businesses and activities with the responsibility of handling bottom ash and fly ash generated from the process. | |
Updates the Ministerial Regulation No. 13 of 2012 with more comprehensive details regarding the requirements of waste banks as well as partnerships and incentives for its operations. | ||
No. 6 of 2022 on the National Waste Management Information System | Establishes the National Waste Management Information System comprising the sources, generation, composition, and characteristics of waste. | |
Outlines the mechanism for coordination, management, and disposal of disaster waste, as well as encourages the integration disaster waste management into local disaster management contingency plans. | ||
Minister of Public Works and Housing | No. 19 of 2012 on Guidelines for Spatial Planning of Areas around Final Waste Disposal Sites | Delineates the spatial planning for areas surrounding the final waste disposal sites, with the aim of ensuring safety from air and water pollution originating from the sites. |
No. 3 of 2013 on the Implementation of Infrastructure and Facilities in Domestic Waste Disposal | Calls for an integrated waste management plant (tempat pengolahan sampah terpadu) for dumping, sorting, recycling, processing, and final processing of waste (Article 1[16]), including plastic (Article 15[5]). |
Updated as of 10 January 2025.
Government of Indonesia (2008), Law No. 18 of 2008 on Waste Management. https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC084136/ (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2009), Law No. 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management. https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC097643/ (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2012), Government Regulation No. 81 of 2012 on Household Waste and Household-like Waste Management. https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC183120/ (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2013), Regulation of the Minister of Public Works Republic of Indonesia No. 3 of 2013 on The Implementation of Infrastructure and Facilities in Handling Households Waste and Other Type of Household Waste. http://extwprlegs1.fao.org/docs/pdf/ins137639.pdf (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2014), Government Regulation No. 101 of 2014 on Hazardous and Toxic Waste Management. https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC213381/ (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2016). Presidential Regulation No. 18 of 2016 on the Acceleration of Waste-to-Energy Plants Development. https://jdih.esdm.go.id/peraturan/Perpres_Nomor_18_Tahun_2016.pdf. (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2017), Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia No. 58 of 2017 Regarding Amendments to Presidential Decree Number 3 Year 2016 on the Acceleration of the Implementation of National Strategic Project. https://sipuu.setkab.go.id/PUUdoc/175250/Peraturan%20Presiden%20Nomor%2058%20Tahun%202017.pdf (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2017), Presidential Regulation No. 97 of 2017 on the National Policy and Strategy on Household and Household-like Waste Management (Jakstranas). https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Home/Download/63709/Perpres%20Nomor%2097%20Tahun%202017.pdf (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2018), Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia No. 35 of 2018 on the Acceleration of the Development of Waste to Energy Installation with Environmental-based Technology. https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Home/Download/64446/Perpres%20Nomor%2035%20Tahun%202018.pdf (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2018), Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia No. 83 of 2018 on Marine Debris Management. https://sipuu.setkab.go.id/PUUdoc/175608/Perpres%20Nomor%2083%20Tahun%202018.pdf (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2020), Government Regulation No. 27 of 2020 on Specific Waste Management. https://peraturan.go.id/id/pp-no-27-tahun-2020 (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2021), Government Regulation No. 22 of 2021 on Environmental Protection, Organisation and Management. https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC209753/ (accessed 6 January 2025).
