A report shows that the city produces 7,500 tons of waste, while the figure is expected to increase to 10,000-12,000 tons by 2020.

Hazardous solid waste is around 150,000 tons per year, including 6,300 tons of hazardous healthcare waste per year.

Dumping waste remains the major solution to waste treatment. However, experts say the technology, which was considered suitable many years ago, is no longer reasonable. 

HCMC authorities decided that it is necessary to find new solutions for long term. Instead of using large land fund for waste burial, the land needs to be used for other purposes for the community’s benefits.

Buried waste causes environmental problems, including soil and water pollution. 

Many hazardous materials can be found at landfills such as mercury, arsenic, cadmium, lead and plastics. If mercury is inhaled, the toxins can damage kidneys, or lead to respiratory problems or death.

Sorting waste at the source and recycling are two of the solutions being implemented in HCMC to control issues posed by garbage dumping.

Electronic waste contains chemicals such as lead and cadmium which are dangerous to health. When waste disintegrates in the landfill, it enters the soil polluting water sources.

Plastic bags are the most commonly seen waste at landfills. Made of many kinds of chemicals, such as xylene and ethylene oxide, they seriously harm the environment. Scientists say it takes up to 20 years to fully decompose. 

Landfills gather all kinds of waste. Sorting waste at the source and recycling waste are two of the solutions proposed to control burial of waste.

The sorting of waste at source has been implemented for many years in HCMC. However, many problems still exist. The HCMC People’s Committee recently sent a dispatch to 24 districts, saying that it was urgent to apply measures to implement the domestic solid waste classification in localities.

The HCMC Department of Natural Resources and the Environment has submitted to the city’s authorities the planning of the network of domestic solid waste transit stations by 2025. 

The minimum land fund needed to establish the network is 5,000-10,000 square meters.

The HCMC People’s Council is convening a meeting on urban area protection and waste management on June 11. 

The report prepared by the HCMC People’s Committee for the meeting shows that in order to collect and treat waste, the city has to spend VND2.2-2.4 trillion a year.