Most solid waste is buried

The government and local authorities are seeking a technology which ensures efficient and safe treatment of waste, with reasonable treatment costs.

Legal documents on choosing solid waste treatment technologies have been promulgated, but Vietnam still has not identified a technology which can satisfy all the requirements. 

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MONRE), most solid waste is buried (95 percent in Hanoi and 76 percent in HCM City), while a part of waste is treated with incineration. 

Both the measures are not good solutions because they cause pollution and waste in land resources. Useful waste cannot be recycled.

Pyrolysis is the answer

Scientists believe that Vietnam can apply waste-to-energy and pyrolysis. These are optimal solutions as they reduce pollution and exploit the value of waste.

Nguyen Thanh Tai, director of New Technology Ltd, said pyrolysis is more suitable to Vietnam’s conditions because it requires low investment and operation costs, and brings high environmental efficiency.

Burning waste to generate electricity is an advanced technology, but it requires high capital and high operation costs.

Tai said that pyrolysis is extremely useful in treating plastic waste. 

Plastic waste is one of many types of wastes that take a long time to decompose, from several hundred to 1,000 years in natural conditions. It causes many environmental problems, and requires high treatment costs. However, it could be a source of renewable power if it is treated with pyrolysis and turned into oil.

Environmental organizations say that pyrolysis, belonging to the thermochemical group of technologies, is one of the best technological solutions now available.

Pyrolysis especially works well in treating plastic waste as it can recycle a mix of materials and contaminated plastics, including domestic and industrial plastic waste. The pyrolysis of plastics that contain CI (such as PVC) will not produce toxins like the incineration process.

It could reduce pollution and provide ‘green energy products’. The process of polymer pyrolysis (plastic, rubber, etc.) produces gases (syngas), liquids (tar), and solids (char) which could be used as fuel, petrochemicals and monomers.

In Vietnam, research institutes began showing their interest in the technology four to five years ago. It has been used at waste treatment plants including Hai Duong Green Environment, Binh Phuoc Environment and Hue Phuong Green Environment Companies.

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