New approach for municipal solid waste governance aim to become green city
base on a sound material – cycle society initiative in Hanoi, Vietnam
Ngo Thi Lan Phuong, Yoshiro Higano, Helmut Yabar
University of Tsukuba, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences.
1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, JapanABSTRACTThis study aims to analyze the Japanese Sound material-cycle society (SMCS)
model in compatible condition with current waste in Hanoi, Vietnam at the first step:
waste classification base on SMCS initiative and Japanese waste classification
standards. About household waste, author co-operated with some officers andexperts in Urban Environment Company (URENCO) in 3Rs (Reduce-Reuse-Recyle)project in 4 main wards of Hanoi: Phan Chu Trinh, Lang Ha, Nguyen Du and ThanhCong. This project supplies collection containers for households and public places
for separate waste at source with 3 categories: Organic waste, Inorganic waste andRecyclables. In comparison with old state, household waste at these places isclassified properly with higher value for recyclable and organic waste.
About waste from commercial centers and restaurants, author conducted a fieldworkin 2 big-size super markets, 5 media-size super markets and 5 free markets about
waste classification at source. Author interviewed collectors and directly classified
and measured the composition of waste in 2 weeks with collectors. The author also
went to Nam Son Landfill Site to survey the real situation of waste composition
when it is buried. The capacity and environmental impacts from landfill activities
are also quantified. The output of this study is to identify MSW composition andmaterial cycle aim to increase composting and recyclable material amount, quantify
the reduction in landfill load and propose some policies to improve local people
awareness for better MSW governance. Basing on new data from classification
activities, author expects to propose a new scenario for municipal solid waste
treatment by using Integrated Waste Management Model (IWM-2) to improve thecurrent situation aiming to sustainable society.
1. Introduction
Hanoi is capital of Vietnam, located in the Northern at Hong River delta. Hanoi wasexpanded from 1 August 2009 with total area of 3,344.7 km2 (old Hanoi is about
927.39 km2) and consists of 10 urban districts and 18 suburban districts and 1 town.
Currently Hanoi’s population is about 6,232,940 people excluding thousands ofvisitors from another provinces living and working temporarily. Population density
is approx 3,565 person per square kilometer. Recent years, urban districts areas havebeen experiencing a fast urbanization. According to official statistics in 2009 Hanoi

1has 6,500 factories and enterprises, over 90 hospitals and big medical centers, 70
markets and hundreds of restaurants and commercial centers. Current Hanoi withlarge rural areas, few people have sufficient awareness about waste classification
while landfill area is not widen. More and more industrial zones are developing,people life style also change so much, infrastructure, legal framework is not caught
up with urbanization speed therefore the amount of waste is increasing and causing
many environmental burdens for inhabitants and local government.
The problem with lacking of landfill area for municipal solid waste doesn’t happen
in Hanoi only. Many countries/ areas all over the world have been facing with thissituation and most of them, especially in developed countries choose method ofimprove people awareness about waste classification to reduce landfill area insteadof widening it. For example, Germany is leading country in the world for amount ofrecyclable waste. The issue of waste classification was taken seriously in thiscountry from 1991. They separate waste in different color bins. Yellow bin is forfood/ milk container, carton, plastic or metal, navy blue bin for paper, green bin fororganic waste and black bin for glass. They also apply many advanced technologies
in separating waste at waste treatment facilities to have the highest value ofrecyclables. Waste classification wareness is also improved and educated forchildren. Waste from non-value disposal became worthy goods and help improveliving conditions.
In Singapore, an efficient collection mechanism has been applied for several years.
Waste collection became an attractive business and is handled for good contractors.
One contractor is responsible for collecting waste in one defined area in 7 years.
Contractor collects waste door-to-door, then gathers in big collecting site. Waste istreated under “national recyclable program”. Environmental Law is considered
strictly in Singapore with high level of awareness. Thus, Singapore is always
considered as one of the cleanest countries all over the world.
In developing countries, municipal solid waste collection still has many problems.
They are facing with some difficulties such as collection network, weaktransportation, inefficient machines and technology etc. that lead to increasing cost
but low efficiency. Moreover, private sector participation in this field has many
restrictions and residents’ awareness is still very weak. Therefore, in comparison
with developed countries, waste collection and classification in Vietnam and otherdeveloping countries are still at low level.
In Vietnam, household solid waste is the main discharge source of MSW (WorldBank et al., 2004). 3Rs project with Japanese initiative about a sound material –cycle society is a reliable information source to select a suitable technology for
waste treatment in the future.
2. Methodology
2Because of complicated changes from old Hanoi to new Hanoi so the fieldwork wasjust conducted at 4 main wards in Hanoi (Nguyen Du, Lang Ha, Dong Da and Phan
Chu Trinh) and some main markets in urban areas. These areas have dense
population habitation, traffic system with many small alleys. Waste generation percapital in these areas is also higher than other urban areas.
2.1 Selection and analysis secondary data
2.2 Research are and target areas (household, markets, restaurants)
2.3 Questionnaire survey and quick interview
2.4 Expert interview
2.5 Collective, statistical and analytical methods.

Thành Công

Láng HạPhan ChuNguyễn Du

Figure 1 Location of the Model Wards (Source: URENCO, 2010)
3. Results and Discussion
3.1 Waste composition in household areas
The existing collection system was changed into a new collection system suitable forsource separation which requires residents to keep and discharge waste in new anddifferent ways. Moreover, the new system was designed in consideration of more
modern style and conveniences of residents and collection workers. Under thisproject, waste collection rate in Hanoi urban districts reachs approximately 100%,
all kinds of domestic waste are collected, transported and treated daily in order tokeep our city always clean and beautiful. Residents have a responsibility to prepare
household containers for separated waste for source separation and discharge waste
into the regulated separation containers at the designated discharging points and3time. In project complement report, with many efforts and co-operation from many
stakeholders, the household waste composition was as following: organic waste
42.98%, paper 5.27%, plastic and rubber 7.19%, wool and cloths 1.75%, glass
1.42%, stone, clay, china 6.89%, bone, shell 1.27 %, metal 0.59% and other 33.67%.

Sales
Organic waste
Paper
Plastics, rubbers
Wool, textile
Glasses
Stone, clay, ceramicBone, shell
Metal
Other

Clearly, in comparison with the old system, all kinds of waste are disposal to landfill
site, now waste generation is characterized in many categories with the distinguishaspects: organic waste, inorganic waste and recyclables.
3.2 Waste composition in commercial areas.
The classification of waste in super markets is more easier to conduct because thecomposition of waste is not as complicated as domestic waste. Moreover, thecollectors in some big super markets belong to private companies so they classified
generated waste quite carefully.
In contrast with waste composition in super market, waste in free market (out -doormarkets) doesn’t have so high value because almost amount of waste is organic
waste with fruit, vegetable and foods.
Waste classification in restaurant system in Hanoi also had some different results. If
some big restaurants have clear regulations for separating waste at source otherstreet side restaurants in small and medium size dispose waste freely on the street
without any separation.
Hereinafter are some results that author collected in surveying waste classification insuper markets, free markets and restaurants:

43.2.1 Waste composition in super markets:- Carton and paper: 50.5%- Nilon: 10%- Metal: 6,5%
- Food residue: 21.5%- Plastics (Bottle, Pet): 5.5%
- Other: 6%

Waste composition in super market chain

Carton and Paper
Nilon
Metal
Food residue
Other

3.2.2 Waste composition in free markets:- Food residue: 75.5%- Carton: 10%- Plastis: 5%- Other: 9.5%
3.2.3 Waste composition in restaurants:- Food residue: 65.4%- Plastic bottle: 8.5 %- Can, metal: 6,5%
- Glass: 5%- Paper: 5%- Other: 9.6%
3.3 Some social and environmental value with new approach.
3.3.1 Indicator 1: Disposed waste to the landfill site is reduced to 30%.
This result is very satisfactory indicator because the burden with Nam Son waste
treatment complex now is too big. The target to reduce the landfill weight is very
important factor to assess the efficiency of project and it is also important
indicator of this fieldwork.

53.3.2
Indicator 2: Percentage of residents in pilot project areas who
recognize the sanitation condition of the area is improved is more than 50%.
4. Conclusion
Waste management and environment protection in Hanoi has been the mostconcerned issue. The government and HPC have been developing a legal andlegislation system to construct an appropriate system for waste management.
Above are some simple results from author’s fieldwork. It need more time tohave more careful analysis and assessment about other indicators related to waste
composition with new approach for sustainable development for Hanoi in nearfuture.
References
Fobes McDougall, Peter White, Marina Franke, Peter Hindle. Intergrated Solid Waste
Management: A life cycle Inventory. Blackwell Science Home Page
The Project for Implementation Support for 3R Initiative in Hanoi City to Contribute to theDevelopment of a sustainable society in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Project
Complement Report. JICA, 2009.
Developing Intergrated Solid Waste Management Plan, Training Manual. UNEP
Hanoi Statistical Yearbook 2009, 2010.
World Bank, Vietnam Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Canadian International
Development Agency, 2004. Vietnam Environment Monitor: Solid Waste.

6