Blessed, Yet Burdensome: Sacred Leftovers (Lungsuran) and the Spatial Politics of Wellbeing in Urban Bali

Background Food-waste governance rarely recognises ritual food residues that carry spiritual value yet enter everyday waste systems. In urban Bali, lungsuran, the edible and non-edible remnants of Balinese Hindu offerings and ritual foods, moves across households, temples, informal sharing networks and municipal collection points. This study examines how such movement shapes cultural wellbeing, environmental security and spatial inequality. Methods We conducted a qualitative mini-ethnography in Denpasar, Bali, during September-November 2025. Data comprised participant observation at eight sites, 20 in-depth interviews with religious, customary, municipal and civil-society actors, and four focus group discussions with 40 residents across the city. Data were analysed thematically using an interpretive wellbeing, space and society lens. Results The analysis identifies sacred decay as a socio-spatial process through which lungsuran shifts from blessing to burden. This shift is shaped by three mechanisms: unstable boundaries between sacred and waste, uneven spatial capacity in dense urban settings, and the effects of infrastructural mismatch on wellbeing and trust. Residues become burdens when they accumulate in temples or banjar spaces, mix with non-food materials, and move through waste systems that do not visibly support separation. Conclusion Recognising sacred residues as a distinct, time-sensitive and culturally governed material stream reframes food-waste reduction as a matter of cultural wellbeing and spatial justice. Effective interventions require legitimacy from religious and customary authorities, infrastructure designed around ritual rhythms and transparent community-level governance.