I

LIST OF AUTHORS AND CONTRIBUTORS

NATIONAL STATE OF ENVIRONMENT REPORT 2011
SOLID WASTE
Steering Panel:
Nguyen Minh Quang, Minister of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
(MONRE)
Bui Cach Tuyen, Vice Minister cum General Director of Vietnam Environment
Administration, MONRE
Hoang Duong Tung, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Environment Administration,
MONRE
Secretariat:
MSc. Tang The Cuong, Eng. Nguyen Van Thuy, MSc. Le Hoang Anh, MSc. Mac Thi
Minh Tra, MSc. Luong Hoang Tung, BSc. Nghiem Thi Hoang Anh, BSc. Duong Thi
Phuong Nga - Vietnam Environment Administration
Group of Authors:
Prof. Doctor of Science. Pham Ngoc Dang, Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Sinh, Prof.Dr. Dang Kim
Chi, Dr. Tuong Thi Hoi, Dr. Le Hoang Lan, Ass.Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Thai, Dr. Nguyen
Trung Viet, Ass.Dr. Tran Duc Ha, Dr. Mai Thanh Dung, MSc. Le Minh Duc, MSc. Luu
Linh Huong, Doctor. MSc. Nguyen Thuy Quynh, MSc. Nguyen Hoa Binh, MSc. Nguyen
Thuong Hien, Eng. Hoang Minh Dao, Eng. Nguyen Gia Cuong, BSc. Le Ngoc Tuan.
Comments and Data sources:
Departments of Vietnam Environment Administration.
Departments of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Transportation,
Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Finance,
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Health.
Departments of Natural Resources and Environment, Urban Environment Limited
Company (URENCO) of provinces and cities.
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III
List of Tables V
List of Diagrams VI
List of Figures VII
List of Box VIII
List of Abbrevations X
Foreword XI
Executive Summary XII
CHAPTER 1. OVERVIEW OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
IN VIETNAM
1.1. Socio-Economic development 3
1.2. Overview of solid waste management in Vietnam 5
1.3. Solid waste classification and the proportion
of waste generation 7
1.3.1. Solid waste classification at source 7
1.3.2. Solid waste classification basing on the level
of toxicity 9
CHAPTER 2. URBAN SOLID WASTE
2.1. Urban Development in Vietnam 13
2.2. Urban solid waste generation 15
2.2.1. Sources of urban solid waste generation 15
2.2.2. Volume of urban solid wastes generation 16
2.2.3. Components of urban solid wastes 20
2.2.4. Estimated urban waste generation and
composition until 2025 26
2.3. Urban solid waste classification and collection 27
2.3.1. Sorting at source 28
2.3.2. Collection method 29
2.3.3. Collection ratio 30
2.4. Reuse and recycle of urban solid wastes 33
2.5. Treatment and disposal of urban solid wastes 36
CHAPTER 3. AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL SOLID WASTE
3.1. Overview of rural development 41
3.2. Generation of agricultural and rural solid waste 42
3.2.1. Generation of domestic rural solid waste 42
3.2.2. Generation of agricultural solid waste 42
3.2.3. Generation of craft villages solid waste 45
3.3. Classification and collection of agricultural and
rural solid waste 48
3.3.1. Classification and collection of rural
solid waste 48
3.3.2. Classification and collection of agricultural
solid waste 49
3.3.3. Classification and collection of craft villages
solid waste 49
3.4. Reuse and recycle of agricultural and rural
solid waste 50
3.5. Treatment and disposal of agricultural and rural
solid waste 52
3.5.1. Treatment and disposal of rural domestic
solid waste 52
3.5.2. Treatment and disposal of hazardous
agricultural solid waste 52
CHAPTER 4. INDUSTRIAL SOLID WASTE
4.1. Overview of industrial development 57
4.2. Industrial solid waste generation 59
4.2.1. Solid waste generated in industrial, processing,
and high-tech zones 59
4.2.2. Solid waste in mineral mining 61
4.2.3. Solid waste in other industries 63
4.3. Collecting and transporting industrial solid waste 68
4.4. Processing and recycling industrial solid waste 70
4.5. Hazardous industrial waste 72
4.5.1. Generation of hazardous industrial waste 72
4.5.2. Collecting, transporting hazardous
industrial waste 74
4.5.3. Treating, burning hazardous industrial waste 75
CHAPTER 5. MEDICAL SOLID WASTE
5.1. Overview of the development of hospitals and
healthcare facilities 83
5.2. Medical solid waste generation 83
5.2.1. Source of medical solid waste 83
5.2.2. The amount of medical solid waste generation 84
5.2.3. Compositions of medical solid waste 86
TABLE OF CONTENTS
IV
5.3. Sorting, collecting and transporting medical
waste 87
5.4. Treating and recycling non-hazardous medical
waste 89
5.5. Hazardous medical waste 90
5.5.1. The generation of hazardous medical
waste 90
5.5.2. Treating and incinerating hazardous
medical waste 92
CHAPTER 6. THE ENVIRONMENT IMPACT
OF SOLID WASTE
6.1. The impact of solid waste on the environment 99
6.1.1. Air pollution caused by solid waste 99
6.1.2. Water pollution caused by solid waste 101
6.1.3. Soil pollution by solid waste 103
6.2. The impact of solid waste on peoples health 105
6.3. The impact of solid waste on socio-economic
development 106
6.3.1. The cost of solid waste treatment is
increasing 106
6.3.2. The impact of solid waste on tourism
and aquaculture 108
6.3.3. Solid waste leads to environmental
dispute 109
CHAPTER 7. SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT: STATUS,
SHORTCOMINGS AND SOLUTIONS
7.1. Institution and policy 115
7.1.1. Institution and policy have been put into
practice 115
7.1.2. Institutions and policies are incomplete
and not fully implemented 120
7.2. Organization system and responsibility
assignment 121
7.2.1. The organization system and responsibility
assignment are being consolidated and
relatively specific from central to
local level 121
7.2 2. Responsibility assignment is fragmented
and overlapped 123
7.3. Regional and provincial planning 125
7.3.1. The regional planning was developed 125
7.3.2. Lack of provincial planning 127
7.4. The participation of state owned enterprises (SOEs) 128
7.4.1. The participation of SOEs has made
remarkable contribution 128
7.4.2. The SOEs have not been sufficiently
invested 130
7.5. Participation of private sectors and community 130
7.5.1. The private sectors have made
considerable progress 130
7.5.2. The participation of community has
gained the initial results 131
7.5.3. The socialization remains weak 132
7.6. Inspection, examination and violation handling 133
7.6.1. Inspection, examination and violation
handling have become an effective tool
but limited resources 133
7.6.2. Inspections, examinations and violations
handling have not prevented the illegal
import of wasted materials 134
7.7. Finacial investment 135
7.7.1. The financial investment sources are
diversified 135
7.7.2. The financial investment is insufficient
and imbalanced 136
7.8. International cooperation 137
7.8.1. The international cooperation has
diversified the invested capital 137
7.8.2. International cooperation has not
promoted its role and effectiveness 137
7.9. The recovery measures 138
7.9.1. Improving institutions, policies and
strengthening the capacity of enforcement
and supervision 138
7.9.2. Strengthening management system,
eliminating overlaps in assignment and
responsibility 139
7.9.3. Reviewing and evaluating the 3R project:
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle 140
7.9.4. Promoting socialization and mobilizing
the public participation into solid waste
management 141
7.9.5. Making plan and selecting the adequate
solid waste treatment technology 142
7.9.6. Strengthening and diversifying financial
investment resources 143
7.9.7. Increasing public awareness, encouraging
waste classification at source 143
7.9.8. The concrete management measures 144
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .......... 147
REFERENCES ........................................................ 158
V
LIST OF TABLES
CHAPTER 1. OVERVIEW OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
IN VIETNAM
Table 1.1. Structure of GDP at current prices between
2006 and 2010 3
Table 1.2. Solid wastes and different sources of
generation 7
Table 1.3. Volume of solid wastes generated in 2003
and 2008 8
CHAPTER 2. URBAN SOLID WASTE
Table 2.1. Number of urban areas of different levels
from 2005 until 2025 13
Table 2.2. Types of urban solid wastes in Hanoi
in 2011 15
Table 2.3. Urban solid wastes generated between
2007 and 2010 16
Table 2.4. Volume of urban municipal solid wastes
generated in Vietnam in 2007 17
Table 2.5. Municipal SW generation per capita
indicator in urban areas in 2009 18
Table 2.6. Municipal solid wastes in some provinces,
cities in 2010 20
Table 2.7. Components of municipal solid wastes at
the input of landfills in some localities:
Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Hue, Da Nang, HCM
city (1) and Bac Ninh (2) In 2009 - 2010 21
Table 2.8. Volume of construction solid wastes in
some localities in 2009 23
Table 2.9. Electronic wastes generated in Vietnam
between 2002 and 2006 25
Table 2.10. Estimated urban SW generation until 2025 26
Table 2.11. Urban solid waste collection ratio in
Da Nang and Hue 30
Table 2.12. Municipal SW collection in some urban
areas in 2009 32
Table 2.13. Proposed criteria for the selection of urban
SW treatment technology 38
CHAPTER 3. AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL SOLID WASTE
Table 3.1. Total volume of agricultural solid waste
discharged in 2008, 2010 43
Table 3.2. Total volume of solid waste from animal
husbandry in Vietnam 44
CHAPTER 4. INDUSTRIAL SOLID WASTE
Table 4.1. Growth rate from 2005 - 2010 57
Table 4.2. Solid waste generation estimation in
industrial zones in the southern key
economic region in 2009 59
Table 4.3. Estimating and forecasting solid waste in
industrial zones in Vietnam by 2020 60
Table 4.4. Solid waste in coal mining by 2025 61
Table 4.5. Demand and waste from thermal power
plants 65
Table 4.6. Estimated solid waste in thermal power
generation by 2030 65
Table 4.7. Solid waste generated in beer production
by composition 66
Table 4.8. Industrial waste treated by URENCO
Hanoi 70
Table 4.9. Industrial waste generated in some cities
and provinces in 2010 72
Table 4.10. Amount of industrial waste in Hanoi
in 2009 73
Table 4.11. Amount of hazardous industrial solid
waste generated from typical industries
in industrial zones in the southern key
economic region 73
Table 4.12. Number of hazardous waste treatment
companies licensed by the
MONRE in 2009 75
Table 4.13. Typical and popular hazardous waste
treatment technology in Vietnam 76
VI
CHAPTER 5. MEDICAL SOLID WASTE
Table 5.1. Sources of typical solid waste generation
in medical activities 84
Table 5.2. The amount of medical waste in some
localities in 2009 84
Table 5.3. The amount of waste produced in
departments in the hospital 85
Table 5.4. Collecting and sorting medical waste in
hospitals in Hanoi in 2010 87
Table 5.5 The situation of medical solid waste
collecting and storing equipmet in some
cities 88
Table 5.6. Changes of hazardous medical solid waste
generated by different kinds of health
facilities 90
CHAPTER 6. THE ENVIRONMENT IMPACT
OF SOLID WASTE
Table 6.1. Microorganism contaminated in 5 samples
of soil taken from 2 landfill sites 103
Table 6.2. Estimation of the land area affected by the
mining industry in Vietnam 104
CHAPTER 7. SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT: STATUS,
SHORTCOMINGS AND SOLUTIONS
Table 7.1. The performance level of solid waste
management under the targets set for 2010
in the National Strategy on Environment
Protection 116
Table 7.2. Scheme of regional solid waste treatment
facilities for key economic regions 126
Table 7.3. ODA projects relating to urban solid waste
management in Vietnam 138
LIST OF DIAGRAMS
CHAPTER 1. OVERVIEW OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
IN VIETNAM
Diagram 1.1. GDP at current prices by kinds of
economic activity 3
Diagram 1.2. Income per capita in urban and rural
areas 4
Diagram 1.3. Components of solid wastes nationwide
in 2008 and predicted changes in the
years to come 8
Diagram 1.4. State of solid waste generation in
economic regions and forecasts for the
future 8
Diagram 1.5. Components of hazardous medical
solid wastes 10
CHAPTER 2. URBAN SOLID WASTE
Diagram 2.1. Vietnams population in different
economic regions between 2006 and
2010 14
Diagram 2.2. Rate of urban municipal solid waste
generation in Vietnam in 2007 17
Diagram 2.3. State of SW generation in Vietnams
economic regions in 2003, 2008 and
forecasts for 2015 18
Diagram 2.4. Volume of solid wastes generated in
some provinces, cities between 2005
and 2010 19
CHAPTER 3. AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL SOLID WASTE
Diagram 3.1. Structure of production sector in rural
Vietnam in 2010 41
Diagram 3.2 . The proportion of Vietnams rural
domestic solid waste in 2007 41
Diagram 3.3. Estimated volume of rice straw and rice
stubble remained on the fields in several
provinces in the Red river Delta 43
Diagram 3.4. Waste generated by production and
households in Da Hoi iron steel village 47
VII
Diagram 3.5. Waste generated by production and
households in i Bi bronze casting
village 47
Diagram 3.6. Status quo of the construction and
installation of tank to store pesticide
containers in localities in Hanoi 48
CHAPTER 4. INDUSTRIAL SOLID WASTE
Diagram 4.1. Industrial output by economic region
(practical price) 58
Diagram 4.2. Output and solid waste of the alcohol,
beer, and beverage sectors 66
Diagram 4.3. Number of hazardous industrial waste
collection and treatment companies 75
Diagram 4.4. The amount of hazardous industrial
waste being treated annually 76
CHAPTER 5. MEDICAL SOLID WASTE
Diagram 5.1. Development in healthcare conditions 83
Diagram 5.2. Increasing medical waste in some
localities from 2005 to 2009 85
Diagram 5.3. Medical solid waste compositions
basing on physicochemical properties 86
Diagram 5.4. The rate of medical hazardous waste
generation by economic regions 90
Diagram 5.5. Compositions of hazardous medical
solid 91
Diagram. 5.6. Generation hazadous medical waste
in some provinces and cities 93
Diagram 5.7. Medical waste treatment in health
facilities at all levels 94
CHAPTER 6. THE ENVIRONMENT IMPACT
OF SOLID WASTE
Diagram 6.1 The percentage of morbidity between the
research group and the control group 105

LIST OF FIGURES
CHAPTER 2. URBAN SOLID WASTE
Figure 2.1. Urban wastes that can be used, recycled 35
Figure 2.2. Current technology to treat, dispose urban
solid wastes in Vietnam 36
CHAPTER 7. SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT:
STATUS, SHORTCOMINGS AND SOLUTIONS
Figure 7.1. Organizational diagram of solid waste
management at central level 122

VIII
LIST OF BOXS
CHAPTER 1. OVERVIEW OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
IN VIETNAM
Box 1.1. Changes in the component of solid wastes 9
CHAPTER 2. URBAN SOLID WASTE
Box 2.1. Urban solid waste generation in
Ho Chi Minh city 16
Box 2.2. Urban solid waste generation in Hanoi
in 2010 19
Box 2.3. Urban solid waste generation in
Thai Nguyen in 2009 19
Box 2.4. Current use of persistent nylon bags 22
Box 2.5. Projects, programs on waste sorting at source
in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city 27
Box 2.6. Difficulties in sorting solid wastes at source
and orientations for implementation
in Ho Chi Minh city 28
Box 2.7. Concern of people living near landfills and
rubbish transfer sites 29
Box 2.8. Socializing the collection of municipal solid
wastes in Ho Chi Minh city 30
Box 2.9. Municipal solid waste collection in
Da Nang city 31
Box 2.10. Waste collection in Hanoi 31
Box 2.11. Solid waste recycling in Thuy Phuong waste
treatment plant, Thua Thien Hue 33
Box 2.12. Sanitary and unsanitary landfills 36
Box 2.13. Pollution characteristics of some
closed landfills 37
Box 2.14. Thuy Phuong sanitary dumping ground,
Thua Thien Hue 37
CHAPTER 3. AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL SOLID WASTE
Box 3.1. Agricultural by-products in the Mekong
River Delta 44
Box 3.2. Solid waste from Hanois craft villages 45
Box 3.3. Solid waste from the craft villages producing
cassava 46
Box 3.4. Generation of solid waste in Bac Ninhs
craft villages 46
Box 3.5. Solid waste generated in the craft villages 47
Box 3.6. Two widely used and effective methods of
treat solid waste treatment 50
Box 3.7. Screw compressor for agricultural waste -
by-products 52
Box 3.8. Methods of treating pesticide and chemical
fertilizer containers which have been
researched and found possible to apply in
Vietnam 52
CHAPTER 4. INDUSTRIAL SOLID WASTE
Box 4.1. Importing dry battery and electronic boards 67
Box 4.2. Investigating paper mills and Phu My steel
company in Ba Ria - Vung Tau 68
Box 4.3. Processing industrial waste in Hanoi 70
Box 4.4. Registering and granting hazardous waste
source license for industrial establishments
in 2009 74
Box 4.5. Typical and popular technology to treat
hazardous waste in Vietnam 78
CHAPTER 5. MEDICAL SOLID WASTE
Box 5.1. Statistics of medical waste sorting and
collecting in hospitals 87
Box 5.2. Hazardous medical solid waste treatment
in 7 economic regions nationwide 92
Box 5.3. Technology to treat hazardous medical solid
waste in big cities 93
CHAPTER 6. THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
OF SOLID WASTE
Box 6.1. Potential impact of gases emitted from
dumping grounds and landfill sites 99
Box 6.2. Air pollution caused by stink emitted from
Tho Quang aquaculture zone 100
Box 6.3. Solid waste pollutes river basins in
Binh Dinh province 101
Box 6.4. The groundwater in Hanoi is polluted by
amonia 102
IX
Box 6.5. Negative impact of plastic bags 104
Box 6.6. Red-mud spill in Cao Bang province 105
Box 6.7. Hot spots of dioxin and its impact on peoples
health 106
Box 6.8. Solid waste treatment remains a great burden to
Ho Chi Minh city 107
Box 6.9. The cost of medical solid waste treatment in
some major cities 107
Box 6.10. Solid waste in tourist attraction sites 108
Box 6.11. Losing the livelihood because of waste water
leakage 109
Box 6.12. Environmental complaints and disputes in
some localities 110
Box 6.13. Dispute between productive actitities and
the protection of natural scenery and cultural
heritage in coconut fiber producing village of
Mo Cay, Ben Tre province 111
CHAPTER 7. SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT: STATUS,
SHORTCOMINGS AND SOLUTIONS
Box 7.1. Regulations related to socialization in solid
waste management 117
Box 7.2. State management system of urban solid
waste in Ho Chi Minh city 123
Box 7.3. Overlapping in solid waste management
system causes overlapping in implementing
the programs 124
Box 7.4. Socialization of waste disposal in HCM city 131
Box 7.5. Tao Phu Hamlet (Tam Hong commune, Yen
Lac District, Vinh Phuc province) processed
the waste into organic fertilizer 132
Box 7.6. The implementation of thorough handling of
hazardous landfills and waste storage points
under the Decision No. 64/2003/Q-TTg,
as of mid-2011 133
Box 7.7. Handling administrative violations on
hazardous waste managementin
Thai Nguyen 134
Box 7.8. Effectiveness from the waste collection model
in Trieu Thuan commune, Trieu Phong district,
Quang Tri province 140
Box 7.9. Lessons from the environmental improvement
of Chin Te channel (Ben Tre province) project
under the Pollution Control in Poor Densely
Populated Areas component (PCDA) 144
X
BOD Bioligical Oxygen Demand
CDM Clean Development Mechanism
CITENCO Ho Chi Minh city Urban Environment
Company
COD Chemical Oxygen Demand
DO Content of Dissolved Oxygen
DONRE Department of Natural Resources and
Environment
EIA Environment Impact Assessment
EP Environmental Protection
EVN Electricity Vietnam
EZ Economic zone
FDI Foreign Direct Investment
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GSO General Statistics Office
HCMC Ho Chi Minh city
IC Industrial cluster
IZ Industrial zone
JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency
Ltd. Co Limited Company
MARD Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development
MK Mekong
MOC Ministry of Construction
MOH Ministry of Health
MOIT Ministry of Industry and Trade
MONRE Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment
MPI Ministry of Planning and Investment
ODA Official Development Assistance
PC Peoples Committee
PPC Provincial Peoples Committee
PTSC Petro Vietnam Technical Services
Corporation
QCVN Vietnam National Technical Regulation
SEA Strategic Environment Assessment
SOEs State owned enterprises
SW Solid waste
TCCP Permitted Standard
TCVN Vietnam National Standard
TCXDVN Vietnam Construction Standards
TSP Total suspended particles
TSS Total suspended solids
TV Television
URENCO Urban Environment Limited Company
USD United State Dollar
VEA Vietnam Environment Administration
VND Vietnam Dong
WHO World Health Organisation
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
XI
FOREWORD
T
he process of industrialization in Vietnam is currently taking place rapidly with the formation
and development of many production sectors and increased needs for goods, materials,
and energy, boosting national socio-economic development. However, this has resulted
in serious concerns about the environment, especially the handling of solid waste including
domestic waste, industrial waste, agricultural waste, medical waste, construction waste, and
hazardous waste.
The collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal of solid waste have become a headache
for managers in almost all countries in the world, particularly in developing economies such as
Vietnam.
In Vietnam, sustainable solid waste management is one of the 7 priority programs of the National
strategy for environmental protection until 2010 and vision toward 2020 and one of the priority
contents of the development policy of Agenda 21 - Vietnam strategic orientation for sustainable
development.
With the aim of evaluating solid waste-related issues in Vietnam in recent years, development
trends and challenges, proposing solutions and recommendations to resolve such issues in the
years to come, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has chosen Solid waste as
the topic for the National State of Environment Report 2011.
The report has received the contribution of ministries, sectors, and localities nationwide,
particularly managers, scientists, and experts in the field of solid waste, as well as the technical
and financial assistance of the Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment hopes that the National State of Environment
report 2011 - Solid waste will serve as not only a tool for the establishment of an effective and
sustainable solid waste management system but also a source of reference for researching and
training programs of education and scientific research centers and the community.
JOHN NIELSEN
Ambassador
The Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam
NGUYEN MINH QUANG
Minister
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
XII
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
T
he National State of Environment Report 2011 - Solid Waste, analyzes issues related
to solid waste in Vietnam: characteristics of solid waste, how solid wastes emerge, sol-
id waste collection, classification, transportation, treatment, and recycling; evaluates
the state and shortcomings of management work, thus proposing solutions for more effective
solid waste management in the coming years.
Like previous years, the Report is based on the D-P-S-I-R model (Driving forces - Pressures
- State - Impacts - Responses). Driving forces means population growth, the development of
socio-economic sectors, urban and rural development... These driving forces have resulted
in increased exploitation and use of natural resources and release of solid waste; creating
great Pressures, thus changing the state of the environment. The State of solid waste is
evaluated through the volume of solid wastes collected and treated recently, the ratio of
solid waste collected and treated in localities. Limitations in solid waste management will
have negative impacts on the surrounding environment, human health and socio-economic
issues. Responses is an integrated solution to effectively manage, prevent, minimize pollution
caused by solid waste through policies, laws, institutions, management work and related
community activities.
The concept Solid waste (SW) used in the report is understood as waste in solid forms
released during the processes of production, business, service, domestic and other activities.
Solid wastes include normal solid wastes and hazardous solid wastes. Statistics in the report
are taken from sources of ministries, departments, sectors and research works that have been
published.
The report includes 7 chapters. Chapter 1 Overview of solid wastes in Vietnam indicates
that as one of the countries with the highest rates of population density and a population rank-
ing 14
th
in the world, Vietnam is facing huge pressures on the environment and solid waste
management in particular. People in urban areas consume natural resources 2-3 times higher
than those in rural areas and so is the volume of wastes released in urban and rural areas.
Solid wastes are increasing 10% annually nationwide and are expected to continue going
up in terms of volume and toxic level. 46% of solid wastes are produced in urban areas, 17%
from industrial production; rural solid wastes and wastes released by craft villages and the
medical sector account for the remaining percentage. It is predicted that by 2015 the propor-
tion of urban and industrial solid wastes will increase to 51% and 22% respectively.
Chapter 2 is about the state of urban solid waste. The process of urbanization in Vietnam
is taking place rapidly, 26.22 million people live in big and small cities scattered in different
regions, thus releasing a huge volume of urban solid waste. The total volume of urban solid
waste nationwide increases 10 16 % a year; and this volume depends on the living condi-
XIII
tions of urban areas (in 2010, according to local reports, this figure was approximately 1kg/
person/day).
Solid wastes classification at source has just been piloted in some major cities. Most of the
urban solid wastes are not classified at source but are collected and transported together to the
rubbish dumps. The urban solid waste collection ratio currently stands at around 83 - 85%,
but only 60% of urban solid wastes are properly buried and treated in solid waste treatment
plants to produce compost fertilizers and recycled plastics.
The state of agricultural and rural solid wastes is presented in Chapter 3. Accordingly, solid
wastes released from daily activities in rural areas, agricultural production, animal husbandry,
tree growing, and craft villages have been increasing in terms of volume and toxic level (par-
ticularly packages of preservatives, fertilizers and solid wastes from craft villages). However,
the solid waste collection ratio in this area remains low (around 40-55%) and the treatment of
agricultural and rural solid wastes has not received due attention. Most measures to collect and
treat agricultural and rural solid wastes are outdated and do not meet necessary requirements
of environmental sanitation.
Assessing the state of industrial solid wastes, Chapter 4 gives examples of some sectors expe-
riencing strong growth such as: mining, oil and gas, shipbuilding, industrial parks, which are the
main source of industrial solid wastes. The 3 key economic regions account for approximately
80% of the total volume of industrial solid wastes. The industrial solid waste collection ratio is
relatively high at over 90% but the management and treatment of post-collection wastes is only
based on contracts with Urban Environment Companies (URENCO) and not properly controlled.
This chapter also touches on hazardous wastes, a major part of industrial solid wastes (ac-
counting for 15%-20% and increasing remarkably in recent years). Hazardous wastes are a
potential source of pollution, affecting the environment and public health. In addition to urban
environment companies that collect and treat industrial solid wastes and hazardous wastes,
other hazardous waste treating businesses licensed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment or provincial Departments of Natural Resources and Environment are mainly
concentrated in the southern region.
To treat normal and hazardous solid wastes, Vietnam has been using multi-purpose tech-
nologies for different types of solid wastes on a small scale, which meet only part of the needs
for solid waste treatment. But generally, technologies to treat solid wastes, especially hazard-
ous wastes are still incapable of meeting current needs.
Concerning medical solid wastes, Chapter 5 indicates an increase in the volume of solid
wastes from medical activities due to the growth of the medical and pharmaceutical sectors
and an increase in the number of hospital beds. In the content of medical solid wastes, haz-
ardous wastes containing micro-biological agents, radioactives, chemicals, heavy metals, and
toxics causing cell modifications might have huge potential impacts on the environment and
public health, particularly those in direct contact.
XIV
Most hospitals collect and classify wastes but their collection equipment are not sufficient
and synchronous, not meeting necessary standards and these hospitals lack equipment to
ensure safe transportation of wastes. Medical waste treatment has not received adequate in-
vestment in provinces and cities. It is worrisome that the collection and recycling of medical
solid wastes does not abide by current medical waste management regulations.
After referring to the 4 most typical types of solid waste, Chapter 6 of the report gives
an evaluation of the negative impacts of environmental pollution caused by solid wastes.
Consequences of ineffective management and unsanitary treatment of solid wastes are the
integrated impacts on the water and land environments, public health, and socio-economic
development. Environmental pollution caused by solid wastes also leads to environmental
conflicts, which include conflicts of interest between businesses polluting the environment
and the affected community, and conflicts between social groups in craft villages.
Chapter 7 analyzes the issues related to solid waste management and the results achieved
in recent years. Many policies, strategies on solid waste management have been issued and
put in place. The state solid waste management system has been gradually finalized and
many local management models have yielded positive results. The role of private organiza-
tions in collecting, transporting and treating solid wastes has been confirmed. Inspections,
examaninations and the handling of violations in solid waste management, financial invest-
ment, international cooperation, and the socialization of solid waste management have been
strengthened and have obtained positive results.
However, there still remain many shortcomings and difficulties stemming from lack of
clarity in legal regulations, overlapping management systems, insufficient investment, all of
which lead to ineffective implementation. Therefore, to ensure effective solid waste manage-
ment as expected, synchronous measures need to be implemented to overcome such short-
comings and weaknesses.
The National State of Environment Report 2011 proposed that the National Assembly
and Government adjust to a number of strategic targets on solid wastes to conform with the
current conditions in Vietnam; properly and adequately allocate tasks and responsibility to
central and local agencies; issue necessary mechanisms, policies and solutions to speed up
technological development, boost the socialization of solid waste management; gear up and
diversify investment sources, maintain the sustainability of investment sources. At the same
time, the report also proposed that sectors and localities continue implementing measures to
fulfill the task of solid waste management in their areas.
XV
Chapter 1
OVERVIEW OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN VIETNAM