According to the report, from 2021, HCMC will implement a method of classifying domestic solid waste at the source into 2 main groups, including recyclable waste and remaining waste. However, according to the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, from 2025, domestic solid waste generated from households and individuals will be classified into 3 groups, including solid waste that can be reused and recycled; food waste and other domestic solid waste.
To facilitate the synchronous implementation of domestic waste classification into three distinct categories, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has issued directives to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment. The Department is tasked with coordinating with the People's Committee of Thu Duc City and authorities in districts to conduct a comprehensive review of the existing domestic solid waste collection and transportation systems.
Based on the findings of this review, the Department is currently finalizing a comprehensive project plan for the implementation of source-based domestic waste classification for the period 2023-2025, which will subsequently be submitted for approval to the municipal People's Committee.
During the process of arranging the private waste collection force and converting the means of collection at source, the city has encouraged all private waste collection organizations and individuals to join cooperatives or enterprises with legal status.
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has set deadlines for the conversion of domestic solid waste collection and transportation methods. Accordingly, Thu Duc City and districts must complete this by the end of 2023, while communes have the deadline until the end of 2025.
The Ho Chi Minh City Environmental Protection Fund, a state financial institution operating under the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, administers a preferential loan program aimed at supporting vehicle conversion projects. This initiative provides financial assistance to individuals, cooperatives, enterprises, and organizations involved in the conversion of collection vehicles. The maximum loan amount can cover up to 70 percent of the total project investment, with a repayment period not exceeding 7 years. Currently, the preferential loan interest rate stands at 3.86 percent per annum.
The Fund has so far facilitated preferential loans for 117 projects, enabling the conversion of 145 vehicles, with a total loan support amount exceeding VND135 billion.
