The model of waste classification at source was piloted in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hung Yen 10-20 years ago but did not achieve the desired results.
Phan Chu Trinh Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi is one of the first commune-level units in the country to pilot waste sorting at source. The project was initiated in 2005 and began implementation under the financial support and supervision of the JICA Development Partnership Program (Japan) a year later.
Households are instructed to separate inorganic and organic waste at home, and put them in two yellow and blue bins, respectively. Around 4-6 p.m. every day, people bring organic waste to dump into large blue plastic bins, and every four days, they dump inorganic waste into large yellow bins at the entrance of the alley. Seven steering committees for seven large alleys have been established to monitor people's implementation.
Ms. Vu Thi Que, 76 years old, then Chairwoman of the Ward Fatherland Front, said that for the first 6 months, the classification and collection were carried out systematically. When some environmental workers dumped all types of garbage into one truck, people started not to classify. In the following months, fewer households did so, and after two years of the pilot, almost no one classified garbage at source.
Garbage sorting was stopped until 2018 when Phan Chu Trinh Ward encouraged residents to do it themselves. "Initially, this was quite effective, but then some limitations were revealed due to the narrow characteristics of townhouses. Residents left plastic bottles and beer cans for several days before dumping them, causing waste of space and unpleasant odors," explained Mr. Le Trong Sy, Vice Chairman of Phan Chu Trinh Ward.
A trash bin in 2006 is kept in a household. Photo: Gia Chinh
Hanoi is not the only locality struggling to implement waste classification at source. According to the 2019 national environmental status report of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, since 1999, Ho Chi Minh City has started a pilot program, and in the 2015-2016 period, waste classification was implemented in 6 districts, and from 2017 to present, it has been expanded to 24 districts. However, Ho Chi Minh City assessed that only a few districts have implemented waste classification at source well, while the majority are confused in implementation.
In 2017, Da Nang began implementing a pilot project to classify waste at source in Thuan Phuoc and Thach Thang wards, Hai Chau district. By June 2018, over 80% of residential areas had followed the collection process correctly. Da Nang then piloted it in a number of wards, but it also failed to achieve results.
In addition to big cities, many provinces also piloted waste classification at the ward and commune level, but could not maintain it, such as Hung Yen in 2012-2014, Bac Ninh in 2014, Lao Cai in 2016, Binh Duong in 2017-2018, Dong Nai in 2016-2018, and Ha Tinh in 2019.
The Department of Environmental Pollution Control (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) said that waste classification at source has not achieved results because the previous regulations were not compulsory, mainly pilot and encouraged. Localities do not have separate equipment and means of collection for each type of waste classified. In many cases, waste is transported together in the same equipment, means, and with the same treatment method, so classification is no longer meaningful.
Most of the pilot projects on waste classification at source were aimed at building models and were funded. When they ended, there was no more funding to maintain them, leading to their cessation or limited operation.
Mr. Hoang Duong Tung, former Deputy Director General of the Environment Department (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment), said that the experience of successful countries shows that waste classification at source must be a mandatory regulation with sanctions. Garbage dumping and collection must follow a certain schedule.
This expert gave the example of Shanghai (China), where there are many old and new apartments, high-rise and low-rise buildings like Vietnam, which have successfully implemented waste sorting at source. The government requires that apartment complexes must build garbage dumps below so that people can bring their garbage down to dump it on time. If they don't dump it on time, the garbage room will not be opened. They even made an app, so if people don't know, they can go there to get instructions on sorting and dumping their garbage into each bin according to regulations.
"Developed countries are the same, they build very clean garbage collection areas and points, install cameras and have people standing there to monitor. When classified by bag color, it is easier to control, but there must still be a way to conduct surprise checks," said Mr. Tung.
Workers collect garbage in Binh Dinh. Photo: Gia Chinh
In addition, Mr. Tung said that in order for waste classification to be effective, helping to reduce the amount of waste that must be buried or burned, it is necessary to clarify the responsibilities of the collection, transportation, and treatment units so that these processes are synchronized, avoiding the situation where people have classified but environmental workers collect the same vehicle as has happened before.
To achieve the goal of classifying waste at source, Decree 45/2022 on administrative sanctions for violations in the field of environmental protection stipulates that project owners, owners, and management boards of urban areas, apartment buildings, and office buildings will be fined from 200 to 250 million VND if they do not arrange equipment, means, and locations for source classification, collection, and storage of domestic solid waste.
Fines ranging from 250 to 300 million VND will be imposed on the act of not collecting waste from households and individuals; not arranging suitable collection points for domestic solid waste within the premises of the investment project. Households and individuals who do not classify; or do not use packaging to contain domestic solid waste according to regulations will be fined from 0.5 to 1 million VND. Specific regulations on waste classification will be issued by the People's Committees of provinces and cities depending on the actual situation of each locality.
In early November 2023, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued Technical Guidelines on the classification of domestic solid waste. Accordingly, there are three suggested types of waste including waste that can be reused and recycled; food waste and other types. Localities will base on the guidelines to issue specific and appropriate classification regulations, by 2024.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment hopes that the above regulations and guidelines will be the "key" to solving problems related to household waste.
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