Bali to Labuan Bajo Designated as Research Focus for Tourism Waste

Behind the white sandy beaches, tropical hotels, and diverse Tourist Destinations, lies a major unanswered question. How large is the waste footprint left by Indonesia's tourism sector?

The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is attempting to answer that question. The state research institution has initiated a study to specifically examine waste contributions from the tourism sector. 

“Many sectors contribute to waste—residential, industrial, offices—but tourism data remains blank. We want to measure how much comes from Indonesia's tourism sector,” stated BRIN researcher Professor Reza Cordova.

This research focuses on four major tourist areas: Bali, Yogyakarta, Lombok, and Labuan Bajo. 

The selection isn't arbitrary. Reza explained these regions represent Indonesian Tourism's Profile, with bali being a top foreign-exchange earner for the sector.

Once completed and reported, BRIN aims to go beyond mere numbers and charts. 

Findings will be compiled into a policy brief—a document intended as a concrete government guide for addressing Tourism Waste. Tourism waste issues have long persisted without structured solutions.

“We'll examine the actual burden, management practices, and identify scalable best practices nationwide. With this data, we can advise the government on waste management—especially plastic waste from tourism,” he explained.

Initially, BRIN's team will gather data from samples across all four target regions, covering tourist accommodations to attractions. 

This approach should capture a comprehensive picture of waste generation, sorting practices—or lack thereof.

Visibly, Reza acknowledges many businesses—especially non-star accommodations—still mismanage waste. 

However, this assumption requires validation through the team's data collection.

Complexity escalates with illegal accommodations. Many likely lack waste systems, shifting the entire burden to local governments.

Using this data, BRIN hopes to map realistic, applicable solutions—not just responsibility allocation, but also identifying Business-manageable waste types and effective field approaches.

Preliminary data indicates waste management exists in all four areas through local governments or third parties. But source sorting should occur first.

“Proper source management should reduce landfill volumes. We'll identify critical gaps to advise on improved management,” he added.

BRIN targets swift study completion. If on schedule, dozens of sites across these four regions will be researched by September. 

Pending final results, BRIN urges tourism businesses to proactively manage waste—particularly food scraps and plastic waste, the two most pervasive pollutants in tourist destinations.