Jepara Projected to Produce Nearly 480 Tons of Waste Per Day

Jepara - The volume of waste in Jepara Regency continues to increase and has become a serious challenge for the local government. The Bandengan Final Disposal Site (TPA) is reportedly already operating beyond its capacity (overload), requiring immediate handling from the source.

Staff Expert to the Regent for Community Development and Human Resources (PKSDM), Sridana Paminto, said the current condition of the TPA is worrying. Without efforts to reduce waste at the source, the TPA’s capacity is feared to be completely full soon.

“Our site is already overloaded. So if there is no handling from upstream, it will be full in the near future,” Sridana explained during a coordination meeting for the formation of the Task Force for Accelerating Waste Management at the Sosrokartono Meeting Room, Jepara Regional Secretariat, on Thursday (11/6/2026).

Based on data presented in the meeting, Jepara Regency currently produces around 156 tons of waste every day. However, this figure is expected to continue rising in line with population growth.

With Jepara’s projected population in 2026 reaching 1,296,364 people and an average waste production of 0.37 kilograms per person per day, the total waste volume is estimated to reach 479.65 tons per day.

This situation is receiving serious attention because most of the waste entering the Bandengan TPA is still dominated by organic waste and food leftovers.

Based on a sample of 180 kilograms of waste taken at TPA Bandengan on May 12, 2026, around 65% consisted of organic waste and food remnants. Plastic waste ranked second at 19.4%.

The remainder consisted of residue, fabric, paper and cardboard, glass, and cosmetic packaging.

Head of the Jepara Regency Environmental Agency (DLH), Rini Patmini, assessed that this condition highlights the importance of sorting waste from households so that the volume entering the TPA can be reduced.

“We at DLH see the urgency of extraordinary waste management. Central Java is targeting zero waste by 2028, as stated by the Governor. We hope that ASN (state civil servants) in Jepara Regency will become pioneers in waste management. We must sort organic and non-organic waste,” Rini said.

The Jepara Regency Government hopes that waste reduction measures at the source can ease the burden on TPA Bandengan while providing a long-term solution to the waste problem in the region.