Vietnam’s solid waste is likely to increase 2.6-fold to 30 million tons per year by 2020, the Ministry of Science and Technology said at a meeting on Oct 14. The country is seeking advanced technologies to improve waste treatment capacity as only 26% of its 460 dumping grounds currently meet the hygiene requirements, the ministry said. Vietnam uses three treatment solutions namely dumping, composting, and incinerating. The country has 26 solid waste treatment plants located in big cities with a total capacity of 5,000 tons per day. To limit environmental pollution, the National Agency for Science and Technology Information has been seeking advanced solutions and will propose the government to ban dumping in the near future. Prof. Nguyen Huu Dung from Vietnam Urban Environment and Industry Zone Association (Vureia) said that the country needs to invest more in waste treatment as a waste incineration plant costs between $20 and $30 million. (Dai Bieu Nhan Dan – People’s Deputy Oct 16 p2, Vov.vn Oct 15)
