Launching a model of waste classification at source for rural areas

Community Compost Bin after source separation supported by WWF

Along with the socio -economic development in recent times, the increase in shopping and consumption needs has created a large amount of household waste. If not collected and treated properly, this amount of household waste, especially plastic waste, will become a serious environmental burden.

In Long An province, the management of domestic solid waste has been of interest to the province, and many documents have been issued to direct its implementation. At the same time, with the support of the Project, the province has developed a Domestic Solid Waste Management Project for Long An province and carried out pilot activities since 2018. Then, the pilot was deployed in urban areas, specifically in Ward 3, Tan An city, with a scale of 4,800 households since 2020, and has achieved very positive results.

Specifically, waste in the area has been collected, transported and treated separately. More than 85% of people support and actively participate in sorting waste at source. Thereby, the amount of waste brought to incineration/landfill has been reduced by 30% - 40% (the amount of organic waste is separated from mixed waste to make organic fertilizer), contributing to raising people's awareness of waste management and disposal, saving resources, reducing waste treatment costs for the locality. This model is currently being expanded to the entire city of Tan An.

Following the success of the model for urban areas, the Project in coordination with the People's Committee of Long An province continues to pilot the model of waste classification at source and organic fertilizer production for rural areas for about 3,450 households in the entire town of Vinh Hung and part of Thai Tri commune, Vinh Hung district. According to the pilot plan, households, boarding houses, production facilities, schools, restaurants, eateries, etc. will classify waste into 3 types: food waste, recyclable and reusable waste and remaining waste. After being classified, waste will be collected and transported separately to Vinh Hung Waste Treatment Plant to produce organic fertilizer or be treated separately according to regulations.

Compost production plant of Vinh Hung district, Vinh Long province

Mr. Vo Minh Thanh, Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Long An said: "The implementation of the Pilot Program of waste classification at source in rural areas, specifically in Vinh Hung town and Thai Tri commune, is an opportunity for us to affirm our determination in waste management, especially recycling and energy recovery from waste. From the results of this pilot program, the People's Committee of Vinh Hung district will proactively deploy and replicate the model in the remaining communes in Vinh Hung district in 2023. At the same time, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment will monitor and summarize experiences of the waste classification model at source and notify the People's Committees of districts and towns in the province to simultaneously deploy it in the coming time."

Mr. Vo Van Bao, leader of Vinh Hung District People's Committee, said: "In recent times, with the socio-economic development, along with the increase in domestic solid waste, the total volume of domestic solid waste generated in Vinh Hung district is relatively large, about 22.5 tons/day. Currently, the district has a waste treatment plant to handle domestic solid waste, but in the past, waste classification at source has not been implemented, so all the waste is collected at the plant, causing overload for treatment and the amount of waste that must be buried is very large, resulting in huge costs in waste treatment. We strive to basically complete the implementation of domestic solid waste classification at source in Vinh Hung town and Thai Tri commune by the end of 2023 before expanding it throughout the district."

Also according to the pilot plan, WWF-Vietnam through the Project "Waste Management in the Mekong Delta" will support equipment for the pilot including 3,450 household trash bins, 200 household compost bins, 3 large capacity community compost bins of 3000L with guardhouses and operating power lines, 157 public trash bins, 16 handcarts, 2 garbage collection trucks and 1 organic fertilizer production line with a capacity of 5 tons/day.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Dieu Thuy, Director of Plastic Reduction Program, WWF-Vietnam emphasized: “If household waste is not classified but is grouped together, it will cause many difficulties in processing. The implementation of the waste classification model at source in Vinh Hung district is one of the important steps in the journey of environmental protection in the area, as well as increasing the life cycle of materials with high recycling value such as plastic. With the active and responsible participation of everyone, I believe that the Pilot Model will be successful as a basis for replication in other rural areas of Long An province in particular and the Mekong Delta in general - towards the goal of no more plastic waste in nature in the near future.”

Source