In the context of Vietnam entering a new development stage with increasing demands for green growth, environmental protection and sustainable development, the problem of waste, long considered a "burden", is being re-evaluated as a potential resource if properly managed and exploited.
In recent decades, solid waste from urban, industrial and agricultural areas has emerged as one of the most serious environmental challenges in Vietnam. The volume of waste generated is increasing, while the recycling and reuse rates are still low, mainly relying on landfills and open burning - causing many consequences for the environment, public health and socio-economic development.
However, from the perspective of circular economy and sustainable resource management, waste is no longer considered purely as waste, but is being redefined as a form of "secondary resource" that can be recovered, recycled and regenerated into products or energy. International practice has proven that if classified, treated and exploited effectively, waste can play an important role in reducing the exploitation of primary resources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting technological innovation.
As a specialized environmental magazine, we find it necessary and urgent to launch an in-depth press topic on “Turning waste into resources”, stemming from the following main reasons:
Science and technology perspective: Assess the potential for resource exploitation from waste; introduce technical advances and technologies for efficient and environmentally friendly treatment, recycling, and energy recovery.
Policy and legal perspective: Analyze current mechanisms such as the 2020 Environmental Protection Law, the extended producer responsibility mechanism (EPR), policies to promote circular economy in the waste sector.
Practical perspective: Recognize typical models, community initiatives, green startups, etc. that are contributing to changing the way people view waste in Vietnam.
Critical perspective: Point out the major barriers that are holding back the “waste transformation” process – from awareness, infrastructure, market mechanisms to coordination between related subjects.
With this topic, we hope to create a forum connecting researchers – policy makers – environmental enterprises and the practice community, to promote the transition from a waste treatment model to a comprehensive resource management model so that each bag of trash is no longer a burden, but becomes a link in a sustainable development future.
In reality, every year Vietnam discharges millions of tons of domestic solid waste, hundreds of thousands of tons of hazardous waste and many other types of industrial waste. Meanwhile, the recycling and reuse rate is still very low. According to Mr. Ho Kien Trung, Deputy Director of the Department of Environmental Pollution Control (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) at the Workers' Forum for the Environment held on December 12, 2024, the total amount of domestic solid waste (SWM) generated nationwide is about 67,110 tons/day, but recyclable waste ranges from 20 - 25% of the total amount of SWM generated. This is a high-value source of raw materials for production; the rest is other SWM such as single-use plastic bags, candy wrappers, foam boxes, wood pieces, etc. with low value.
Waste, once thought to be worthless and discarded, is increasingly becoming one of the most serious challenges to the environment, public health and sustainable development. From giant landfills on the outskirts of cities to rivers black with floating waste, from microplastic pollution in food to energy and resource crises, the footprint of waste has been imprinted on every aspect of modern life.
Waste is diverse, complex and increasing.
In the modern era, when economic growth and urbanization are taking place rapidly, waste has become a difficult problem, not only in large cities but also spreading to rural areas. From household waste to electronic waste, agricultural waste, industrial waste, etc., the volume and toxicity are increasing. Without effective management and reuse solutions, waste will not only degrade the environment but also cause heavy economic losses and threaten the quality of life of millions of people.
Waste today is no longer just daily household trash bags but has become a complex system with many types such as:
Household waste: Accounts for the majority of the total waste volume in Vietnam, including organic waste (leftover food, spoiled vegetables, etc.), inorganic waste (plastic packaging, paper, fabric, etc.) and recyclable waste. (put in the illustration box)
Industrial waste: Generated from industrial parks, factories, and production workshops, of which a large part is hazardous waste if not treated properly.
Electronic waste: Includes broken, outdated electrical and electronic equipment such as computers, phones, televisions, etc., containing heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium - extremely toxic if released into the environment.
Agricultural waste: Bottles, pesticide packaging, plastic bags, agricultural films, etc. are increasing in growing and raising areas, but have not been managed synchronously. According to statistics from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the amount of domestic waste in Vietnam has exceeded 65,000 tons/day, while the rate of treatment by modern methods (burning, recycling) only accounts for about 15-20%. The rest is still mainly buried, including many open landfills, causing severe pollution.
Vietnam is currently one of the countries with the fastest growing rate of household waste generation in the Asia-Pacific region, but the recycling and reuse rate is still very low. According to data from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), each year Vietnam generates about 25 million tons of household solid waste (MSW), of which urban areas alone account for more than 70%. It is forecasted that by 2030, the amount of solid waste could reach 35-40 million tons/year if there are no effective solutions to reduce and classify it. Large cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang... are facing enormous pressure from the rapidly increasing volume of waste, while the collection, transportation and treatment systems have not kept up. Typically, in Ho Chi Minh City, nearly 10,000 tons of household waste per day are collected, but most of it is buried in landfills such as Da Phuoc (Binh Chanh District) and Phuoc Hiep (Cu Chi District). According to the summary report on the implementation of the solid waste treatment planning project in Ho Chi Minh City until 2025, with a vision to 2050, the proportion of household solid waste treated by non-energy incineration, composting, and recycling technology is only 33%, which is too low compared to the remaining 67% being treated by sanitary landfill technology.
In Hanoi, according to a report by the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment, the entire city generates about 7,000 - 8,000 tons of household waste per day. Before 2022, the city's centralized household waste treatment areas received about 7,000 tons per day; in which more than 90% of the waste is treated through landfill. This method not only poses a risk of environmental pollution, but also wastes resources to convert into energy to serve the needs of socio-economic development.
Since the Thien Y Waste-to-Energy Plant came into operation, about 5,500 tons of waste have been treated every day. However, the remaining 2,500 - 3,000 tons of waste still have to use the landfill method.
In Hai Phong, according to the Department of Agriculture and Environment (DARD) of Hai Phong, the city of red phoenix flowers generates about 2,010 tons of solid waste every day. This is a big challenge for waste management, treatment and urban environmental protection in this city because while the amount of waste is constantly increasing over time, waste treatment is still mainly landfilled.
Not only household waste, Vietnam also has to "shoulder" a large amount of industrial waste, plastic waste, medical waste and hazardous waste. Plastic waste in particular, a type of waste that can last for hundreds of years in the environment, is becoming a big concern. A report by the World Bank (WB) shows that Vietnam is among the top 5 countries that discharge the most plastic waste into the ocean in the world, with about 3.1 million tons of plastic waste each year, of which up to 10% is discharged directly into the sea.
According to Ms. Hoang Thi Dieu Linh, officer in charge of Waste and Circular Economy at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the National Environment Report for the period 2016-2020, the amount of solid waste generated in urban areas nationwide increased by an average of 10-16% per year. The total amount of solid waste generated in urban areas is more than 35,600 tons/day, accounting for about 55% of the total amount of solid waste generated nationwide. Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi are the two cities with the largest amount of solid waste generated, up to 10,000 tons/day.
The latest statistics show that the total amount of domestic solid waste generated in our country is currently about 24.5 million tons and industrial solid waste is 8.1 million tons. Of which, plastic and nylon waste is currently a problem that is causing the Government a headache. It is estimated that every day our country discharges about 2,500 tons of plastic waste and from 0.28 to 0.73 million tons are discharged into the ocean. A representative of the United Nations Environment Program said that the amount of plastic waste in the sea of our country ranks 4th in the world, after China, Indonesia and the Philippines. Vietnam has a total of 112 estuaries and 80% of the waste in the sea flows out from here. Of which, the majority is household waste.
Meanwhile, the current rate of collection of household waste in urban areas is about 70% to 85% and in rural areas is only about 40% to 55%. For industrial activities, the rate of solid waste collection is only 31%. The most common method of waste treatment in our country is still landfill and manual burning. The country currently has more than 660 landfills, but only about 120 are sanitary. In terms of scope, the place with the highest rate of waste generation is the Southeast region and the Red River Delta. This has been and is the main cause of serious environmental pollution.
Environmental hazards and barriers to sustainable development
If not collected and treated effectively, waste will leave serious consequences for all areas such as the environment, economy and society.
For the environment, if waste is not treated properly, it will pollute the soil and groundwater due to waste seeping through the soil and rock layers. Heavy metals from electronic waste or pesticides seep into water sources, causing long-term effects on the ecosystem.
According to statistics, on average, each year the country generates about 25,000 tons of household waste, the total amount of household waste generated from urban areas tends to increase by an average of 10% - 16%. Of which, the average waste collection rate in urban areas nationwide is only about 70% - 85%.
The amount of household waste in urban areas is 38,000 tons per day, while the collection and treatment rate is only over 85%. In rural areas, the amount of domestic waste is 32,000 tons per day and only about 55% is collected. For industrial activities, the solid waste collection rate is only 31%. The main treatment is landfill and only a small proportion is treated by incineration, the rest floats on rivers, lakes, estuary wetlands, and coastal areas.
All types of waste, especially waste that is difficult to decompose and contains many toxic substances, when mixed into the soil, will destroy beneficial microorganisms for the soil, thereby reducing the biodiversity of the soil, hindering the process of nutrient synthesis, making the soil acidic and less fertile, and also causing many pests to destroy crops.
Especially now, the widespread use of plastic bags in daily life and activities, when entering the soil, takes 50 - 60 years to decompose completely and therefore they create "separating walls" in the soil, strongly limiting the decomposition process, synthesizing nutrients, making the soil less fertile, the soil becomes acidic and crop yields decrease.
Vietnam is a country that relies on agriculture as the main source of economic development, so land plays the most important role for farmers. The discharge of household waste and the reduction of soil nutrients have significantly affected farming activities, causing crop quality to become unstable, not to mention the development of pests and diseases that seriously reduce crop yields.
The habit of dumping garbage on riverbanks, lakes, ponds, and sewers has a strong negative impact on the water environment, significantly affecting the lives of aquatic organisms, reducing biodiversity. Not only does it negatively affect surface water and marine life, garbage also has a strong impact on groundwater through the decomposition process. The large amount of toxins from garbage pollutes groundwater, affecting all aspects and industries of life, from daily life, production, agriculture and even aquaculture, adversely affecting the local economy and life.
Waste also pollutes the air when burned in the open or in substandard furnaces, producing toxic substances such as dioxin and furan - compounds that can cause cancer.
The burial of organic waste creates methane - a greenhouse gas that has the potential to cause global warming 25 times more than CO₂. This is the cause of climate change.
In terms of economy, the cost of waste treatment accounts for a large proportion of the budget of urban areas. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City spend thousands of billions of VND each year on this activity. It is worth mentioning that while the world no longer sees waste as a burden but as a resource that can be exploited, recycled, and regenerated in a circular economic model, in Vietnam, most of the waste is being wasted, causing us to lose a significant amount of resources. Types of waste such as: Plastic, metal, paper, leftover food... if properly collected can be reused as input materials, but currently most of it is being wasted.
For society, waste has a direct impact on public health, especially for people living near landfills and scrap collectors. Respiratory, dermatological, and cancer diseases are on the rise in this group, leading to significant treatment costs.