Beyond Landfill Expansion: Environmental Law and Administrative Reformulation of Sustainable Waste Management Policy at Segawe Landfill, Tulungagung Regency

Abstract

Waste management has become a critical environmental governance issue in Indonesia, particularly in regional landfill areas experiencing increasing waste accumulation and limited disposal capacity. This study aims to analyze the reformulation of sustainable waste management policy at the Segawe Final Disposal Site (TPA Segawe), Tulungagung Regency, through the perspectives of environmental law and public administration. The research employs a normative-empirical legal method by integrating statutory, conceptual, and case approaches with qualitative empirical analysis. Primary legal materials include Indonesian environmental regulations, regional waste management regulations, and administrative policies governing landfill operations, while empirical data were obtained through field observations, institutional documents, and interviews with stakeholders involved in waste governance. The findings reveal that although Tulungagung Regency has established legal instruments through Regional Regulation Number 19 of 2010 and Regent Regulation Number 22 of 2017, policy implementation remains predominantly landfill-oriented and has not fully incorporated sustainable environmental governance principles. The study further identifies institutional fragmentation, limited public participation, and inadequate waste reduction mechanisms as major challenges affecting policy effectiveness. Empirical analysis indicates that TPA Segawe is projected to reach overcapacity by 2030 despite the planned expansion of approximately 10–15 hectares, demonstrating that land expansion alone cannot ensure long-term sustainability. From the perspective of environmental administrative law, the study concludes that sustainable waste governance requires integrated legal-administrative reform emphasizing circular economy principles, collaborative governance, environmental accountability, and preventive waste reduction strategies. This research contributes to the development of environmental governance discourse by proposing a sustainable regional waste management policy model integrating environmental law and public administration frameworks within local government systems in Indonesia.