Solid Waste Management in Vietnam - An Industrial Ecology Study
| Columbia University
In the past decade, strong economic growth and uncontrolled urbanization have greatly magnified the problems with Vietnam’s solid waste management system, pushing waste management to the forefront of environmental challenges with which it must contend. Not only has there been an increase in the amounts of waste generated, the composition of the waste has changed as well. The current system is already overtaxed due to lack of institutional capacity and insufficient human and capital resources as can be evidenced by low collection rates and inadequate waste facilities. Given socio-economic trends, the issue of how to deal with its solid waste will only become more critical as Vietnam industrializes.
The manual aim to support both formal and informal recycling enterprises in preventing plastic pollution by advocating best practices and promoting proper housekeeping within informal recycling facilities.
The main goal of this study is to evaluate plastic and pellet losses and leakage from the logistical handling and pre-processing operations of informal recycling groups in Thailand, focusing on recovered post-consumer plastic waste and factory processing operations. The focus areas of this study are the Nonthaburi Municipality and Pattaya City.
This study was conducted following on a simplified three-step approach: 1) collect and analyse data and information relevant to plastic leakage from informal sector recycling; 2) engage with key stakeholders; and 3) disseminate the outcomes of the study.
The guidelines aim to fill knowledge gaps and promote contextually appropriate best practices. They will also encourage industry actors to implement measures to prevent and contain plastic and pellet leakages. Based on the findings of a preliminary assessment of the post-consumer plastic recycling value chain, which analyzed primary sources of plastic loss and leakage, including technology applications, resource availability, access, and regulatory and policy gaps, these guidelines are designed.
