A waste management study conducted by WWF-Indonesia in 2017 estimated that there were 112.4 m3/day or about 12.8 tons/day of waste generated in Labuan Bajo and in Komodo National Park there were 12.18 m3/day or about 0.65 tons/day.

Good news, one of the solutions that has been initiated to overcome the waste problem in Labuan Bajo is the establishment of the Komodo Waste Multipurpose Cooperative (KSU). This KSU is a pilot 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Waste Disposal Site (TPS) initiated by the Labuan Bajo community. KSU Sampah Komodo is located in Batu Cermin Village, Labuan Bajo.

With support and assistance from WWF-Indonesia, the community received waste management education through the 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) campaign as well as practicing waste management.

On November 5, 2018, KSU Sampah Komodo shipped 10.8 tons of plastic waste out of Labuan Bajo.

The shredded plastic waste was sent by truck to Bali and then sent to Surabaya, East Java. There, the plastic waste is recycled into plastic raw materials, in the form of plastic "pellets."