The Effectiveness of Semarang City Government Policy in Waste Management at the Jatibarang Landfill

Abstract

The rapid growth of population and consumption activities in Semarang City has led to a significant increase in daily waste generation, contributing to severe pressure on the Jatibarang Final Disposal Site (TPA), which has exceeded its optimal capacity. Despite the existence of Local Regulation No. 6 of 2012 as a legal framework for waste management, its implementation remains suboptimal due to limited technical capacity, inadequate infrastructure, weak inter-sectoral coordination, and varied commitment among policy implementers. The research employs a qualitative normative-empirical approach to evaluate the effectiveness of waste management policies in Semarang, integrating field observations, in-depth interviews, and literature analysis. The findings indicate that waste handling at Jatibarang still relies heavily on controlled landfill and open dumping methods, resulting in environmental impacts such as leachate contamination, unpleasant odors, and increased methane emissions. Low public awareness and weak household-level waste sorting further hinder the implementation of the 3R principles (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). However, government initiatives such as environmental education and the development of community-based waste banks have shown positive results, although they remain limited in scope and sustainability. This study concludes that improving waste governance in Semarang requires a comprehensive approach that integrates technical enhancement, strengthened institutional coordination, community participation, and economic incentives to support circular waste management. Such measures are expected to realize more effective, sustainable, and environmentally sound waste management practices in the future.