Although the work is hard and the constant night shifts leave his eyes dark, Mr. Pham Duc Thanh, 57, a worker at Nha Trang Urban Environment Joint Stock Company, continues with a smile. He shared that seeing trash such as nylon, dry trees, and plastic bags flooding the beach makes him uncomfortable.

Born into a large family with many siblings and a difficult life, Mr. Thanh has had various jobs. He used to drive a truck to transport goods, helped his wife sell goods, and then worked as a garbage collector for Nha Trang Urban Environment Joint Stock Company.

Every time there is a storm, a lot of garbage is washed ashore by the waves. During local events, thousands of people gather, leaving the beach full of all kinds of garbage. Mr. Thanh and his colleagues are mobilized to clean up. They collect garbage by hand first, then use a specialized vehicle to clean it again.

Seeing his colleagues working hard, he conceived the idea of improving the sand screening vehicle to help clean up the garbage deep under the sand layer, freeing up labor for himself and other workers.

Having learned how to repair cars, Mr. Thanh thought about how to improve the vehicle to collect hard garbage, including wooden sticks and coconut shells. He worked at night and drew models during the day, filling his student notebook with drawings.

After much thought, he finally determined what needed to be done. He drew the shape of the car and went to a mechanical workshop to make a request to the welder. His “brainchild” was born with a simple structure, consisting of two parts: the front part controls the machine, and the back part pulls the sand screening system to filter out trash. The machine runs on a diesel engine.

The rear system scoops sand and puts it into the trash screening net.

The rear system will scoop sand and put it into the trash screening net. Photo: Xuan Ngoc

Commitment to cleanliness

For many years, at 10 p.m. every day, when the beach is less crowded, Mr. Thanh starts driving the sand screening vehicle to “find trash.” The sound of the vehicle is familiar to many people. He works from 10 p.m. the night before to 5 a.m. the next morning until the beach is clean of trash.

According to Mr. Thanh, each time the machine operates, it scoops up a thick layer, puts it into the screening net, and tosses the trash into the bin behind. The remaining trash, such as can lids, packaging, and bottle caps, is picked up by the machine. The sand strip is also flattened.

Mr. Tran Van Huong, Director of the Environmental Enterprise of Nha Trang Urban Environment Joint Stock Company, said that Mr. Thanh has been working at the company for nearly ten years, specializing in driving garbage trucks from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

The sand screening truck that Mr. Thanh improved has been brought to the beach to collect garbage for the past five years. Currently, the company has two sand screening trucks for this purpose. The application of machinery has helped workers reduce their hardship while ensuring environmental hygiene.

According to Mr. Huong, Mr. Thanh is an enthusiastic person, always completing his work.

Looking at the clean beach with smooth and white sand, Mr. Thanh smiled with satisfaction. "Every time I see people and tourists running and jumping on the flat, clean sand, all fatigue is dispelled. I just hope I have enough health to continue working," he smiled gently, then hurried back to help his wife sell noodles in the morning.

Xuan Ngoc