Preserving a green environment through effective household waste management

Household waste being processed at the Vinh Tan Waste Treatment Complex operated by Sonadezi Environment Corporation. Photo: Hoang Loc

 This situation calls for more effective management of household waste to prevent serious impacts on the environment and people’s lives.

 Waste still piling up in many areas

Tran Trong Toan, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said that in the former Binh Phuoc province area, there are still 22 temporary landfills holding an estimated 350,000 tons of waste. A recent survey found that 17 of these sites are still receiving waste, with a total volume of around 142 tons per day, while four landfills have ceased operations and one has yet to begin. At these sites, waste is mainly handled through open burning and on-site soil covering, methods that violate regulations, lack oversight, emit foul odors, and pose risks to groundwater and the surrounding environment.

In the former Dong Nai, the rainy season and peak fruit harvest have driven up waste generation, causing congestion at many transfer stations and collection points. Up to now, more than 4,400 tons of waste remain at 3 transfer sites in the former Bien Hoa City, while around 10.5 thousand tons are piled up across other communes and wards.

Household waste is accumulating heavily, while the main waste treatment plants are all overloaded.

General Director of Sonadezi Services Corporation, investor of the Quang Trung Waste Treatment Complex (Thong Nhat Commune, Dong Nai Province), Tran Anh Dung stated: Since July 1, the facility has been receiving more than 1,200 tons of waste per day, exceeding its licensed capacity. Despite efforts to maximize intake, large volumes of garbage remain piled up in localities. “If this situation persists, not only will the environment around transfer stations be affected, but it will also seriously threaten operational safety and increase the risk of environmental incidents at the treatment site,” Mr. Dung expressed concern.

In the former Binh Phuoc province, a representative of Binh Phuoc Environmental Technology Development JSC, the investor of Dong Xoai Waste Treatment Plant (Dong Xoai Ward), reported that the facility is currently receiving 200 tons of waste per day. Meanwhile, its design capacity is only 100 tons. Notably, surrounding wards and communes lack transfer stations, meaning all waste must be delivered directly to the plant, worsening the backlog.

“The Dong Xoai plant is located in a residential area, which is inconsistent with the zoning plan, and it has not been issued an environmental permit, making any capacity expansion impossible. If the plant is forced to shut down, household waste from eight central communes and wards will go uncollected, leading to environmental pollution and affecting the urban landscape,” a company representative said.

Proper regulation and acceleration of new projects needed

There are two main causes of the current waste backlog. First, some treatment facilities have refused to accept waste, resulting in excessive pressure on a few plants operating beyond their designed capacity. Second, waste-to-energy projects have been slow to implement, failing to add new capacity while the volume of waste continues to increase.

To address the issue, the investor of the Quang Trung Waste Treatment Complex has proposed that the provincial People’s Committee reallocate waste, instead of concentrating it in one facility. The company suggested that starting from September 15, it will stop receiving waste from nine communes that already have local treatment facilities (Dai Phuoc, Nhon Trach, Phuoc An, Phuoc Thai, Long Phuoc, Binh An, Long Thanh, An Phuoc, Hung Thinh). These localities should redirect their backlog to other treatment sites.

Meanwhile, Binh Phuoc Environmental Technology Development JSC has requested provincial support in working with the rubber sector to quickly finalize a land site so that the Dong Xoai Waste Treatment Plant can be relocated to an area in line with planning. The company pledged to invest in a new facility with appropriate capacity and technology to handle the waste generated in the central wards.

 Provincial Party Committee member and Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Hoang generally agreed with the proposals put forward by enterprises and relevant sectors. She instructed the chairs of the nine communes mentioned above to select local waste collection and treatment units before September 15, 2025, in order to reduce the pressure on the Quang Trung Waste Treatment Complex. The Department of Agriculture and Environment was tasked with working with Tai Tien Trading JSC, Phuc Thien Long Trading and Services JSC, and Cu Lao Xanh Co., Ltd. to promptly develop plans for receiving and treating household waste, as well as signing temporary contracts with localities in need, thereby minimizing further waste congestion.

Regarding the existing waste backlog, in the former Dong Nai province area, the Tran Bien ward People’s Committee must resolve three transfer stations in the former Bien Hoa City. Other commune and ward-level People’s Committees are required to coordinate with waste collection and transport units to handle the backlog at their transfer sites. Meanwhile, for the 22 temporary dumping sites in the former Binh Phuoc province, commune, ward-level authorities must review and verify the exact volume and locations, and propose definitive treatment measures by September 2025.

In addition, the provincial People’s Committee assigned the Department of Agriculture and Environment and the Department of Finance to work with project investors and advise on the implementation of 4 key waste treatment projects: the Phu Rieng Household, Industrial, and Hazardous Waste Treatment Plant (Viettech Trading and Services Co., Ltd.), the Tan Hung - Hon Quan Waste-to-Energy Plant (Greenity Hau Giang One-Member Co., Ltd.), the Dinh Quan Waste-to-Energy Plant - Phase 1 (Dong Nai Environmental Energy JSC), and the Tan Loi Centralized Waste Treatment Plant.

At the same time, the province urged the acceleration of the Household Waste-to-Energy Plant in Tan Quan Commune and the Waste-to-Energy Plant in Tan An Commune. Once operational, these projects are expected to provide a fundamental solution to the waste backlog while ensuring environmental protection and urban beauty across the province.

By: Hoang Loc

Translated by: Thu Cuc - Minho