The enforcement of regulations on waste sorting at source is facing major obstacles due to inadequate preparation or a lack of awareness among many people...
Although Decree 45/2022 came into effect on January 1, 2025, observations by reporters from Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper show that the awareness of waste sorting at source among many people in Ho Chi Minh City seems to have not improved much. Most people simply throw waste wherever is convenient and are unaware of the penalties.
Shortcomings
On August 1st, reporters visited major parks in Ho Chi Minh City such as 23 September Park, 30 April Park, Tao Dan Park, etc. The images from these places showed that most trash cans had only one compartment to hold all kinds of waste, from leaves, plastic cups, and paper bags to leftover food.
Many people who visit April 30th Park (District 1) throw their trash into the same bin after having fun and eating. Photo: AI MY
Similarly, in many streets and residential areas of the city, the practice of mixing all types of waste together remains common, regardless of whether the trash cans are divided into compartments or not.
The situation is the same in streets and parks, and even in apartment buildings. A representative from the management board of an apartment building in District 8 cited the example of many buildings that use a centralized garbage disposal system leading to a storage room in the basement. This makes residents' efforts to sort waste in their apartments ineffective.
In particular, the habit of disposing of garbage at irregular times and the lack of supervision make it difficult to check and ensure compliance with regulations. "This is clearly a weakness that needs to be addressed in the garbage collection system in apartment buildings," this person commented.
Still vague
According to Decree 45/2022, each individual and household is responsible for sorting waste at source; violations can result in fines of up to 1 million VND.
Some residents said they didn't fully understand how to sort waste. Ms. Nguyen Vu Trieu Tien (born in 1994, residing in District 8) said she had only recently heard about the regulation and hadn't been able to implement it yet. Ms. Trieu Tien admitted that her family was confused about understanding and distinguishing between organic and inorganic waste...
Waste is collected in bulk without sorting at an apartment building in District 8. Photo: CHI NGUYEN
Nguyen Ngoc An (born in 2001, residing in District 1) shared a similar opinion, noting that the number of sorting bins in public places is too small, and people mostly just throw everything together in one place.
Many other opinions suggested that the implementation of waste sorting needs a more specific plan. The city must develop a reasonable, flexible roadmap that suits the specific characteristics of each area. At the same time, detailed guidance documents should be developed on how to sort each group of waste, clearly explaining the concept and characteristics of each type to make it easier for the majority of the population to understand.
In addition, it is necessary to equip the system with sufficient specialized transport vehicles to effectively control the collection and processing stages. For example, there should be separate vehicles for collecting food waste to avoid mixing and improve the efficiency of the waste management system.
Residents also suggested that the city should start with simple steps to ease the burden. Accordingly, instead of immediately sorting waste into three categories, the city could encourage separating waste into two categories: recyclable and non-recyclable. This would pave the way for the implementation of stricter regulations in the future.
Gradually overcome
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh My, Deputy Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City, Article 75 of the 2020 Environmental Protection Law stipulates that solid household waste from households and individuals must be divided into three groups: reusable and recyclable waste; food waste; and other household waste.
According to Ms. My, the city plans to implement waste sorting into three groups with a roadmap that is compatible with the existing environmental protection infrastructure and waste treatment technology, following guidelines from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment .
In 2025, the People's Committees of districts, counties, and Thu Duc City will review the volume and quality of food waste in their localities. Simultaneously, the classification into three groups will be applied first to some entities with large amounts of food waste generated. "After that, the city will gradually evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation, summarize the experience, and expand its application to the remaining groups throughout the city," informed the Deputy Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City.
Regarding waste collection, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment reports that Ho Chi Minh City currently has 6,314 waste collection and transport vehicles, of which 4,077 meet standards (65%), while the remaining 2,237 do not. The need for additional conversion is 1,776 vehicles with 984 660-liter bins and 792 trucks, funded by a loan from the Ho Chi Minh City Environmental Protection Fund of approximately 219.45 billion VND. To date, the city has converted 145 vehicles and approved loans for 117 projects with a total approved loan amount of 135.14 billion VND.
Furthermore, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment is still working on establishing prices according to the new regulations. Currently, people are still paying service fees at the rates set by the district-level People's Committees for each locality until a common price is issued by the city-level People's Committee.
Towards a green, clean, and beautiful city.
The challenges that Ho Chi Minh City is facing regarding waste sorting at source are largely due to the lack of coordinated waste management and the limitations of supporting policies. The city has also not invested adequately in a system of sorting bins, collection vehicles, and separate organic and inorganic waste treatment plants.
On An Duong Vuong Street (District 5), despite instructions on waste sorting, throwing everything into one bin remains common. Photo: Ai My
Many argue that waste sorting is a complex and time-consuming task, coupled with ineffective public awareness campaigns, a lack of clear incentives, and insufficient deterrent penalties. Supporting infrastructure such as sorting bins and modern processing plants remains inadequate, while coordination between authorities and waste collection companies is still lacking.
These shortcomings are hindering efforts to protect the environment and build Ho Chi Minh City into a green, clean, and beautiful city.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/phan-loai-rac-tai-nguon-thach-thuc-lon-196250108223801004.htm
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