Waste sorting at source: Immediate difficulties, long-term benefits

Speaking at the opening of the Forum, Dr. Nguyen Linh Ngoc, Chairman of the Vietnam Clean Water and Environment Association, former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, said that the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 stipulates that by January 1, 2025, it will be necessary to classify domestic solid waste, which is expected to be a breakthrough step to improve pollution and overload due to domestic waste as well as waste of resources from waste. However, to implement these regulations, the necessary condition is an operating standard, the sufficient condition is that the process of waste classification - collection - treatment is carried out synchronously. Only then will waste go through the correct cycle to bring benefits.

According to Dr. Nguyen Linh Ngoc, household waste classification brings long-term benefits but is an immediate difficulty, a difficult problem to solve in both urban and rural areas. Without good preparation and a clear roadmap, it will be very difficult to put the policy into practice.

Current status of classification, collection, transportation and treatment of household waste

Speaking at the Forum, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Lam, representative of the Department of Environmental Pollution Control (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) said that currently, the total volume of domestic solid waste generated nationwide is about 67,877.34 tons/day, urban areas generate about 38,143.05 tons/day; rural areas generate about 29,734.30 tons/day.

In 2023, the total amount of domestic solid waste collected and transported nationwide will reach 88.34%, in urban areas 96.60%, in rural areas 77.69%. There are 1,548 domestic solid waste treatment facilities nationwide; of which 340 are incinerators (accounting for 21.96%); 30 are compost/organic fertilizer treatment facilities (accounting for 1.94%); 1,178 are landfill facilities (accounting for 76.10%), many of which are unsanitary.

Regarding challenges in domestic solid waste management, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Lam said that some problems exist such as: not yet implementing synchronous source classification in localities; not providing enough collection services in many rural and mountainous areas; lack of collection equipment and specialized means of transport to meet requirements; lack of collection locations and transfer stations that meet regulations, causing waste to accumulate for a long time, causing environmental pollution; regulations on norms and unit prices for collection, transportation and treatment are still lacking. In addition, in the treatment work, landfill technology is still the main method (76.10%); investment capital is mainly from the state budget, capital from the private sector is still modest...

Before the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, the classification of domestic solid waste was still a pilot project, a model, and not yet successful. After the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 took effect, a number of localities have implemented the classification of domestic solid waste. Typically, Hanoi, Lao Cai, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Thua Thien - Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Binh Dinh, Lam Dong, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong.

Dr. Hoang Duong Tung - Chairman of the Vietnam Clean Air Network commented that currently, most localities are quite confused when implementing waste classification according to the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, including some localities that have issued a Waste Classification Plan. Localities are waiting for instructions from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to implement. Households and waste source owners still do not clearly understand how to classify waste, how much to pay for waste, and where to dump classified waste. Service providers still do not have instructions on equipment, frequency of collection locations for classified waste, and there have been no changes in collection, transportation and treatment. There are still gaps in the treatment of food waste.

Waste treatment in localities

At the Forum, representatives of over 30 Departments of Natural Resources and Environment and units and companies operating in the field of collection, transportation and treatment of household waste, experts and scientists pointed out the current situation and difficulties in the implementation of household waste classification. These are difficulties in equipment, infrastructure, collection points as well as funding for collection and treatment of household waste in localities.

Ms. Dao Thu Huyen - Deputy Head of the Waste Management Department, Hai Phong Department of Natural Resources and Environment shared that domestic solid waste in Hai Phong city is about 1,860 tons/day; of which in urban areas is about 1,000 tons/day, rural areas is about 860 tons/day (statistical data in 2023). The amount of urban domestic solid waste collected and treated is 100%; the rate of treatment in rural areas has increased gradually over the years: 85% in 2016 and 98% in 2023.

The difficulties for Hai Phong as well as many other localities are monotonous waste treatment technology (mainly sanitary landfill); economic benefits from waste have not been exploited; collection and transportation service prices are low, revenue is not enough to cover expenses...

Since 2016, the Hai Phong City People's Committee has directed the implementation of waste classification at source. In 2018, markets, restaurants, and hotels classified waste at source. From 2019 to present, the city has promoted propaganda and implemented the waste classification model at source in residential groups and residential areas. Hai Phong strives to have 100% of communes, wards, and towns basically complete and continue to maintain the classification of domestic solid waste at source by October 31, 2024.

According to Ms. Dao Thu Huyen, from Hai Phong's experience, to classify, collect and treat solid waste better and better, it requires the participation of the entire political system, in which each citizen needs to change their habits, raise their sense of responsibility, for the community; regularly classify waste according to instructions. Agencies, unions and villages need to actively perform their tasks, do a good job of propaganda and guidance for people in classifying, collecting and treating waste.

Not only are the localities facing difficulties, the units that collect and treat waste also face obstacles in the implementation process. Mr. Nguyen Hoang Lan - Representative of Binh Duong Water - Environment Joint Stock Company said that with the characteristics of waste in Binh Duong in particular and Vietnam in general, there is no technology that can handle it if the waste is not classified from the beginning. Some domestic treatment enterprises currently lack funds to invest in technology and lack policies to support the consumption of recovered by-products.

According to Mr. Nguyen Hoang Lan, unlike household waste in Europe and Japan which has been classified and has low humidity, most household waste in Vietnam has high humidity, lots of organic matter and has not been classified. Therefore, if applying the prototype technology of European, American or Japanese countries, it will not be effective both financially and technically.

According to Mr. Nguyen Duy Binh, Director of Lam Son Environmental Sanitation Joint Stock Company, Thanh Hoa province, currently only about 17% of waste is recycled. There are no common standards and regulations for reusable waste streams, so many recycling projects are ineffective. The reason is that unsorted waste has created a mass of mixed waste with high humidity that cannot be burned. To be effective in collecting and treating household waste, it is necessary to meet the criteria of technical infrastructure, investors, funding and the concept of always considering waste as a resource.

Regarding waste classification at source, some delegates said that there is a lot of work to be done, from propaganda, community guidance, to investment in infrastructure for collecting, transporting, processing, and recycling household waste. In particular, changing awareness and raising people's consciousness in waste classification is still a difficult problem. In fact, there are localities where waste classification has been implemented for more than 5 years but has not yet been able to form people's initiative.

Based on the opinions of the delegates, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Anh - Vice Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment, stated that the Forum is not only an opportunity for businesses, managers, experts and local agencies to present the current situation, difficulties and challenges in classifying domestic solid waste, but also a useful information channel for the National Assembly to refer to in detailing legal documents, monitoring the collection, treatment and classification of domestic solid waste.

The National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment has conducted a thorough study on the preparations of 63 provinces and cities in the implementation of household solid waste classification. Of which, the Committee has selected more than 10 provinces and cities for field surveys. Mr. Nguyen Tuan Anh said that in 2025, the National Assembly is expected to carry out supreme supervision activities in the environmental field, which is also an opportunity to review the contents of household solid waste classification.