According to the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection, households and individuals in urban areas must put household solid waste after sorting into packages. In Clause 1, Article 26 of Decree 45/2022, it is stipulated to fine from VND500,000 – 1,000,000 (US$20-40) for the act of households and individuals not classifying household solid waste according to regulations; not using packaging containing household solid waste according to regulations.
Next, Official Dispatch 9368/BTNMT-KSONMT of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment guides the People’s Committees of provinces and cities directly under the Central Government to organize propaganda and dissemination to agencies, organizations, communities, households, and individuals to implement the classification of household solid waste generated from households and individuals; implement the classification of household solid waste no later than December 31, 2024.
From January 1, 2025, households and individuals who do not classify their household waste will be fined according to the above regulations.
According to records, however, localities in HCMC have not yet implemented this regulation. Le Thi Anh Tuyet (residing in Thanh Xuan Ward of District 12) said that a few years ago, her neighborhood propagated to people about household waste sorting at source. Yet she only did it for a while and then stopped because some people in the neighborhood did it while some others do not.
“Currently, people in the neighborhood only put garbage in a common trash can. Like my house, I keep recyclable waste and scrap for sale separately; the rest of the waste is put in a bin for the collection unit to come and collect. If fines are applied for not classifying waste at source, before implementing it, the local authorities need to notify and have specific instructions for people to know, but currently we have not heard anything”, Tuyet shared.
Similarly, Nguyen Thi Thuy, a resident in K26 Apartment Block at Ward 1 of Go Vap District, said that people from the 2nd floor and above dump daily household waste through the building’s space down to the garbage house on the ground floor. Each floor does not have its own container, but all are transferred to the garbage house, and there are no requirements for waste sorting.
Regarding the handling of acts of not separating waste at source, Chairman Ngo Xuan Binh of Ward 3 People’s Committee in Go Vap District said that the ward used to propagate to people, but only for a while and then stopped. This stems from the fact that even if the garbage is sorted by the people, the waste transportation units still mix it together because there are no specialized vehicles for collection each waste type separately.
Meanwhile, Head Lai Phu Cuong, Head of the Division of Natural Resources and Environment of Binh Tan District informed that the district is currently waiting for the city to implement the waste sorting at source project, so it has not yet applied fines. The district is also strengthening propaganda on this act in accordance with the guidance of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, because currently most people have not done it correctly.
Deputy Director Nguyen Thi Thanh My of the HCMC Department of Natural Resources and Environment stated that the waste sorting at source project is currently being submitted and seeking opinions. On November 18, 2024, the Party Civil Affairs Committee of the HCMC People’s Committee held a meeting to listen to the project report.
The Chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee directed the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment to finalize the draft project content to submit to the HCMC People’s Committee for consideration and approval before reporting it to the Party Civil Affairs Committee of the HCMC People’s Committee to submit to the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee.
Ho Chi Minh City generates a substantial 9,800-10,500 tonnes of domestic waste daily. Official reports indicate a 33-percent treatment rate via incineration (without energy recovery), composting, and recycling, leaving 67 percent reliant on landfill disposal.
Experts emphasize the necessity of waste classification and recycling to mitigate waste volumes. Sorting waste at source, while fundamental, is considered merely the first step. Experts underscore the critical need for advanced waste processing solutions.
Prof. Dr. Le Thanh Hai, Director of the Institute of Environment and Resources (Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City), advocates for a comprehensive collection, sorting, and recycling system, envisioning a circular economy model for waste resource utilization. He further recommends strategic planning for a municipal solid waste treatment network.
According to the summary report on the HCMC Solid Waste Treatment Plan to 2025, with a vision to 2050, five waste-to-energy incineration projects are currently underway. The HCMC People’s Committee has approved investment proposals for Vietstar JSC. and Tam Sinh Nghia Investment Development JSC., while Tasco JSC., Vietnam Waste Treatment Co. Ltd., and HCMC Urban Environment One Member Co. Ltd. are in the investment approval process.
