According to a report by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, as much as 71% of waste is currently disposed of in landfills, of which 20% is landfilled under unsanitary conditions. Another 13% is incinerated using substandard incinerators, while 16% is processed into compost that fails to meet required standards. These practices are causing pollution not only to soil and water resources but also to the air.

71% of waste is currently disposed of in landfills

Speaking at the workshop “Solid Waste Control: Policies, Legislation and Practice,” Mr. Nguyen Quang Huan, Member of the National Assembly’s Committee on Science, Technology and Environment and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Halcom Vietnam, noted that solid waste can be classified into various categories, including medical waste, hazardous waste, marine waste, mining waste, and construction waste. Municipal solid waste, in turn, comprises both urban and rural waste.

Chapter VI of Vietnam’s Law on Environmental Protection, covering Articles 72 through 85, contains provisions specifically addressing solid waste. With regard to municipal solid waste, the National Assembly Standing Committee has also issued Resolution No. 499, focusing on waste treatment. In addition to the Law on Environmental Protection, the Government has issued Decree No. 08, while the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has issued Circular No. 02 providing detailed guidance on waste management in general, including solid waste. It can therefore be seen that Vietnam has established a relatively comprehensive legal framework for waste management. However, waste management remains plagued by numerous shortcomings, not only in major urban areas but also in rural areas.

According to reports from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the 2022 hearing on solid waste held by the National Assembly’s Committee on Science, Technology and Environment, as much as 71% of waste is currently disposed of in landfills. Of this, 20% is landfilled under unsanitary conditions, while 13% is incinerated using substandard incinerators. Another 16% is processed into compost that fails to meet required standards. These practices are causing pollution not only to soil and water resources but also to the air.

“It is time to undertake a thorough and decisive review to remove these obstacles. At present, some localities have seemingly modern waste-to-energy plants, yet after nearly two years, they have still not been officially commissioned and accepted. This is an alarming situation,” National Assembly Deputy Nguyen Quang Huan said.

3 Key Challenges

According to National Assembly Deputy Nguyen Quang Huan, after years of studying the issue and engaging with numerous investors from countries including the United States, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, China, as well as domestic investors, the waste sector currently faces three major challenges: technology, management, and policy.

Regarding technology, each type of waste requires a different treatment solution. For example, ocean plastic waste can become a valuable resource when processed by researchers specializing in plastic waste treatment. Construction waste can also serve as a valuable source of materials for land reclamation. Therefore, appropriate treatment technologies are needed for each type of waste. “We are focusing too much on waste sorting, while global waste treatment technologies have evolved significantly and become much more advanced. In the past, achieving incineration temperatures of 1,200–1,400°C was difficult, but that is no longer the case. A key characteristic of waste in Vietnam is its very low calorific value. If we simply adopt technologies from developed countries and apply them in Vietnam, we will fail. If we want to leapfrog, we cannot compete with developed countries by simply following the same path,” National Assembly Deputy Nguyen Quang Huan said.

Vietnam currently has around five to six effective waste treatment technologies, rather than relying solely on waste-to-energy incineration. For unsorted waste, an integrated treatment facility combining multiple technologies is required.

Regarding management, under Resolution No. 09/NQ-CP, the Government has designated the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as the lead agency responsible for unified state management of solid waste, while provincial-level People’s Committee chairpersons bear overall responsibility for waste management and treatment in their respective localities. However, some local authorities do not yet have a comprehensive understanding of available technologies and lack sufficient involvement from professional consulting experts. As a result, waste treatment remains ineffective.

National Assembly Deputy Nguyen Quang Huan also pointed out that there are still overlaps and inconsistencies in waste-related policies. For example, Article 118 of the Land Law, along with Decree No. 69 and Decree No. 59/2014/ND-CP amending Decree No. 69, provides that land for environmental projects should be cleared and given priority. However, some local authorities continue to apply the Land Law’s requirement for land auctions, creating difficulties and uncertainty in the implementation process.

“Although there are still challenges related to technology, policy, and management, if we demonstrate strong determination, secure sound professional advice, have a leader who takes clear political responsibility, and gain the support of local communities, we can certainly select the most appropriate and effective waste treatment technology,” National Assembly Deputy Nguyen Quang Huan said.

Source: Dai bieu Nhan dan Newspaper