At the seminar “Strengthening Waste Source Control and Solid Waste Management to Improve the Environment,” organized by Dai Bieu Nhan Dan Newspaper on the morning of September 18, Nguyen Quang Huan, a member of the National Assembly Committee on Science, Technology and Environment and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Halcom Vietnam, emphasized that the actual efficiency of waste treatment remains very low.
The Challenge Lies in Waste Treatment
Nguyen Quang Huan explained that, in practice, there are different types of waste, including household waste, industrial waste, and construction waste. Each type of waste requires a different approach to management and treatment.
For example, construction waste mainly needs to be properly managed, as it is generally non-hazardous and can even become a valuable resource when used as backfill material. Industrial waste, meanwhile, should be classified according to the characteristics of the industry from which it originates. For instance, waste from the semiconductor industry can be collected and processed to recover valuable metals. Similarly, waste oil can be collected and treated to recover nickel, gold, and other precious metals.
The collection and treatment of these types of waste must ensure the use of appropriate technologies that do not harm the environment, while keeping treatment costs from becoming excessively high compared with purchasing new materials on the market.
The most pressing issue today is household waste. According to Nguyen Quang Huan, with approximately 60,000 tonnes of waste generated every day, effective treatment could turn it into a valuable resource; otherwise, it could become a source of environmental pollution. Currently, the waste collection and treatment rate is relatively high, at around 80–90%. However, when collection and treatment are considered separately, the current level of waste treatment remains inadequate.
As early as the National Assembly Committee on Science, Technology and Environment’s review of solid waste management in late 2022, it was clearly acknowledged that the waste treatment rate remained very low. Later, Resolution No. 499/NQ-UBTVQH15 of 2022 on question-and-answer activities at the 9th session of the 15th National Assembly Standing Committee also highlighted shortcomings in waste treatment, noting that the country had yet to achieve a high waste treatment rate. Therefore, in 2025, the National Assembly is expected to review a thematic supervision report on “The Implementation of Policies and Laws on Environmental Protection Since the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection Took Effect.” “Hopefully, by then, we will have sufficient data to assess how much waste we are collecting and treating and how effectively it is being managed,” Mr. Nguyen Quang Huan said.
Focus on Technology
Waste treatment technologies are diverse and vary depending on the type of waste being treated. Accordingly, each industrial product generates waste that requires a different treatment approach. Some types of industrial waste are even in short supply because they can generate significant value, such as waste from the footwear and leather industry and semiconductor waste. Therefore, when focusing on waste treatment technologies, greater attention should be paid to household waste.
Based on this assessment, Nguyen Quang Huan said that applying technologies to treat household waste remains a major challenge. Waste separation at source has been widely discussed, but infrastructure remains inconsistent and treatment standards still face many shortcomings. Accordingly, when selecting waste treatment technologies, attention should be paid to factors such as what percentage of the waste output still needs to be landfilled after treatment and how much emissions the treatment process generates. These factors depend on the composition of the waste and the amount of waste generated each day.
Waste-to-energy incineration is another issue that requires particular attention. In practice, many facilities use oil during the waste-to-energy process, which can generate toxic fumes. Moreover, waste-to-energy incineration may not necessarily be an advantage in Vietnam, as waste in the country has a relatively low calorific value, generally only around 5.5–6 MJ/kg, far lower than the approximately 20 MJ/kg found in waste in Europe. Furthermore, at some waste treatment plants, as much as 30% of the waste remaining after treatment still has to be sent to landfill.
These figures show that waste treatment efficiency remains very low. Therefore, while the Government should encourage businesses, investors, and technology providers to focus on developing waste treatment solutions, it must also ensure strict control over the quality of waste treatment. “If the current situation continues, without proper control of emissions and the waste remaining after treatment, the consequences could be very serious,” Nguyen Quang Huan emphasized.
Source: Dai bieu Nhan dan