According to a Ministry of Health survey, in 2023 approximately 57% of Indonesian households managed waste by burning it.
Broken down by province, the highest proportion of households that regularly burn waste is in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), reaching 83.6%.
Other provinces in the top 10 for waste burning are Lampung, Aceh, Gorontalo, West Kalimantan, Riau, Central Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, Papua Pegunungan, and Central Java.
According to the Directorate of Hazardous and Toxic Waste Management (B3) of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), burning waste produces many toxins and chemicals that can be harmful to people and the environment.
Smoke and particulate matter from burning can also trigger respiratory problems, especially for children, the elderly, asthma sufferers, those with chronic illnesses, and other vulnerable groups.
Therefore, the B3 Directorate states that waste burning needs to be reduced through public education and government policies.
"Centralized [waste] sources or collection, recycling, transportation, or other disposal methods must be made affordable, convenient, and effective," as quoted from the B3 Directorate website.