Indonesia’s capital is drowning in waste: ‘the smell is awful’

SCMP · 2026-02-17
Indonesia’s capital is drowning in waste: ‘the smell is awful’

Garbage-choked streets, overloaded landfills and the fear of trash avalanches haunt Indonesia’s capital region, as the world’s most populous metropolis grapples with a waste crisis. Jakarta and its satellite cities, known collectively as Jabodetabek, are home to 42 million people and produce up to a