In Indonesia, thousands of waste pickers climb the mountains of garbage at Bantargebang, the country's largest landfill on the eastern edge of Jakarta, the capital. There, they search for anything they can sell. Nur Wencih, 35, has worked there for two decades and earns about $12 on a good day. Soon, however, her livelihood may become far less certain.

The government has announced a plan to change the site from an open dump into a more controlled system, beginning on August 1, 2026. In an open dump, waste is left uncovered, while a proper landfill covers it with soil and collects the gas it produces. Officials also plan to shut down open dumping operations at 343 of the country's 550 sites. In addition, people are now being asked to separate organic waste and recyclables for the first time.

A key goal is to reduce methane, a gas that causes about one-third of global warming and traps more heat than carbon dioxide. Researchers say Bantargebang releases more methane than almost any landfill on Earth.

Yet the reform is not simple. Indonesia must protect the livelihoods of about 600,000 waste pickers while transforming how the nation handles its trash. Officials said the change would eventually create safer jobs in recycling and composting. Workers like Wencih, however, fear for their future. "What worries me most is how I will feed my family," she said.