VietNamNet Bridge – The government, in the policy on sustainable development, has stated that the waste management is the key task of the environment protection activities, while 3R (reduction, reuse, recycle) solutions have been highlighted.

How rich is Vietnam in resources?

A report of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment showed that Hanoi and HCM City alone discharge 30,000 tons of waste every year, including domestic garbage, industrial and medical waste.

Of this, 50-70 percent contains the recycle compounds to re-generate new energy. However, only 10 percent of the waste has been reused and recycled.

HCM City has to spend VND1 trillion every year to carry and treat the waste. Most of the waste has been dumped, which has caused the serious environment pollution.

Scientists say Vietnam is very rich in resources. Regarding the plastic waste, at least 50,000 tons of waste has been dumped every year.

If considering that it costs VND300,000 to dump one ton of plastic waste, scientists say, if the waste can be recycled, Vietnam would be able to save up to VND15 billion.

Meanwhile, the recycled plastics can help enterprises reduce the input material costs, thus helping cut the production costs.

The waste recycling allows to minimize the environment pollution and reduce the land area needed for dumping garbage. Meanwhile, it can generate necessary products which can be used in agriculture production and aquaculture.

In fact, some big provinces and cities such as Bac Giang, Da Nang, HCM City and some Mekong Delta provinces have spent money on building and running the domestic solid waste plants, compose and biogas works. However, the projects still cannot receive the appropriate investments.

The solid waste management strategy by 2025, with the vision until 2050, has set up a goal that 100 percent of urban areas must have solid waste treatment works by 2025, while 100 percent of the domestic solid garbage in urban areas and craft villages can be collected and treated in accordance with the environment protection standards.

By 2015, it is expected that 40 percent of waste would turn into compost, 10 percent would be recycled, 10 percent would be used for electricity generation, and 40 percent would be dumped in a safe way.

Reasonable policies would help recycle waste

Most of the waste recycling units in cities are the small and medium establishments. Therefore, they still cannot fully exploit the huge resources. This explains why it’s difficult to invest to develop new technologies and re-generate valuable products..

According to the HCM City Waste Recycle Fund, 90 percent of the waste recycling establishments don’t have the staff in charge of the environment matters, 94 percent don’t have the waste water treatment systems, and 84 percent don’t have waste gas treatment works. Many waste recycling establishments cannot make contribution to the environment protection, while they have polluted the environment themselves.

HCM City has kicked off the project on building industrial waste recycling and treatment plant. It has called for the investments to the 500 ton per day hazardous waste treatment plant in the Da Phuoc Waste Treatment Complex, to the 100 ton per day hazardous dumping ground, the general industrial waste treatment plant with the capacity of 200-360 tons in the Phuoc Hiep waste treatment complex. Nevertheless, no perfect solution for the capital arrangement has been found.

DNSGCT