Solid waste flow and composition determination for sustainable waste management in Gili Trawangan, Indonesia

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the waste flow, solid waste generation rates, and recycling rate in Gili Trawangan, Indonesia, as a case study of small islands in order to propose an appropriate solid waste management strategy. The compost supply and demand balance was estimated to determine the effectiveness of different composting techniques in the reduction of landfill waste on small islands. The hospitality industry contributed to over 70% of the total waste generation; in particular, about 50% was generated by large hotels. This indicates that recovering resources from the waste generated from hospitality-related sources is an effective way of reducing landfill waste. A new solid waste management strategy was proposed to reduce the environmental load and implement a sustainable solid waste management strategy consisting of organic waste composting and zero waste landfilling. As the demand for organic fertilizer was larger than the potential supply, the composting of organic waste from hotels and households would be feasible. Although the estimated cost–benefit ratio of the proposed waste management system was insufficient to operate the proposed system, a charge of only 0.08 USD to tourists is necessary for its implementation. The presented results and conclusions provide support for the decisions of the Lombok Regency and can be a guideline for the implementation of solid waste management strategies on other small islands.