Forces participating in the "Green Sunday" movement mobilized to clean up the environment after the floods. Photo: Environmental Protection Agency .

Many bright spots

In accordance with Official Letter No. 15744/UBND-CT dated October 31, 2025, from the People's Committee of Hue City regarding the general environmental sanitation after the floods, linked with the "Green Sunday" movement, agencies, units, and localities have simultaneously launched a comprehensive cleanup campaign of houses, offices, roads, and residential areas. Immediately after the floods, forces from Hue Urban Environment and Construction Joint Stock Company, soldiers, police, youth union members, teachers, and residents simultaneously launched a general cleanup campaign throughout the city.

The number of large-scale cleanup efforts reached approximately 344 locations, with around 32,000 participants. From the floods in late October to early November, 20,125 tons of waste were collected and transported, with 13,619 tons delivered to the Phu Son waste-to-energy plant and 6,506 tons to the Thuy Phuong landfill. Currently, post-flood cleanup and waste collection in the city have been largely completed. However, local authorities and units continue to implement waste collection and environmental sanitation measures to prevent the emergence of unauthorized waste collection points that could cause environmental pollution.

Through the Hue - Plastic-Reduced City in Central Vietnam Project (TVA Project), many plastic waste reduction models have been implemented and replicated in localities, gradually raising people's awareness of environmental protection. Specifically, with the support of the TVA Project and local authorities, dozens of tourism and service establishments in localities have committed to implementing plastic reduction solutions in their business operations. These establishments have also implemented plastic reduction practices by replacing single-use plastic bottles with reusable and environmentally friendly glass containers in restaurants and homestays. They have also adopted durable stainless steel food containers, contributing to the reduction of plastic bags and plastic waste.

Furthermore, within the framework of this project, from 2022 to 2025, the "Plastic-Reduced Schools" model was implemented in the city. This model attracted the participation of 180 schools with over 54,000 students, including 83 pilot schools, collecting nearly 30 tons of waste, including over 5.5 tons of plastic, contributing to sustainable changes in awareness and behavior regarding plastic waste in the educational environment.

Local authorities simultaneously launched campaigns to clean up and sanitize the environment along transportation routes. Photo: Environmental Protection Agency .

According to the assessment of the Environmental Protection Sub-Department (Department of Agriculture and Environment), environmental management in the city has gradually become more organized. Focus has been placed on implementing environmental protection solutions, achieving noteworthy results. The rate of solid waste collection and treatment reached 97%, meeting the set target; the rate of landfilling reached 7.4%, exceeding the target. Localities continue to implement the waste sorting at source program. Environmental monitoring is being conducted for facilities and projects with a risk of pollution, and environmental sanitation and waste collection after floods are being actively carried out.

In the coming period, the city will continue to promote the development of a civilized urban lifestyle, ensuring a green, clean, and beautiful environment. It will strengthen the movement of all citizens participating in environmental protection, building a bright, green, and clean Hue city, promoting the "Green Sunday" movement, the "Say No to Plastic Bags" campaign, and the campaign against single-use plastic products. It will also develop and implement community agreements, regulations, and commitments to environmental protection, and develop self-governing community models in environmental protection activities.

Solid waste management

According to the Department of Environmental Protection, the management of household solid waste in the area has achieved many positive results, but some limitations still exist. Some remote areas with sparse populations, especially mountainous regions, lack access to solid waste collection, transportation, and treatment services. Some landfills operate without leachate treatment systems, leading to the discharge of wastewater into the environment and causing pollution. Solid waste sorting at source has not been implemented comprehensively and effectively. There is a lack of planning for suitable areas to allocate space for the collection, sorting, and storage of sorted household solid waste, construction waste, and general industrial waste. Furthermore, some waste collection points still serve as sources of pollution…

The Department of Agriculture and Environment has advised the City People's Committee to direct relevant departments and localities to prioritize investment in environmental protection resources and infrastructure, especially in rural areas. They have also implemented decisive measures to improve the efficiency of solid waste management, including the arrangement of collection and storage points for hazardous waste generated by households and individuals, bulky waste, construction waste, ordinary industrial waste, and hazardous agricultural and medical waste.

Review and implement renovations and upgrades to ensure environmental technical requirements for waste collection points, preventing the emergence of environmental pollution hotspots. Strictly manage the operation of both active and closed landfills to ensure hygiene and environmental compliance with regulations. Simultaneously, research and issue economic and technical standards for the collection, transportation, and treatment of municipal solid waste, strengthen environmental inspection and monitoring, and decisively address environmental pollution hotspots.

Collecting and sorting waste at the source contributes to improving urban quality. Photo: TVA Project.

Regarding waste sorting at source, it is necessary to research effective implementation solutions, ensuring safe and environmentally friendly waste transportation and treatment. This includes piloting models for sorting and treating organic waste at households, schools, and residential areas to reduce the amount of waste requiring treatment, save on collection, transportation, and treatment costs, and transform organic waste into organic fertilizer, partially replacing chemical fertilizers for parks, green spaces, and agriculture, contributing to making Hue a modern ecological city. Directing relevant units and localities to allocate resources for the complete investment in environmental protection infrastructure, wastewater treatment systems, and strengthening environmental inspection and monitoring in urban areas, residential areas, industrial zones, industrial clusters, and production facilities throughout the city.

Mr. Le Ba Phuc, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said that the department has advised the City People's Committee to direct the Department of Construction to review the solid waste management plan in the city to make appropriate adjustments. Specifically, it is necessary to reconsider the requirement for each district-level locality to allocate a minimum of 1 hectare for the treatment of construction solid waste, as there are currently no such districts. At the same time, a review should be conducted to propose a plan for the planning of locations for receiving and treating construction solid waste across communes and wards, focusing on attracting investment for processing and reuse as construction materials and landfill. Locations should be designated for receiving municipal solid waste and ordinary industrial solid waste for sorting, maximizing resource utilization, and minimizing the need for disposal.

Ha Nguyen

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/nong-nghiep-nong-thon/bao-ve-moi-truong-cai-thien-chat-luong-do-thi-160763.html