Hanoi to recycle construction waste

The project, proposed by the municipal Construction Department, will use advanced equipment that will remove the need for burying the waste, which is an environmentally-unfriendly solution.

Besides, landfills in the capital city are already overloaded with the large volume of solid waste generated each day.

The Hanoi Solid Waste Treatment and Environmental Development Joint Stock Company will pilot the project in five districts: Hoang Mai, Cau Giay; Bac Tu Liem; Thanh Tri and Dong Anh.

The project will crush construction waste with machines imported from Germany and Austria.

Company director Dang Tien Thanh said this project will ensure that construction waste like broken bricks, cement, mortar and bitumen will be crushed, not buried.

The treated waste can replace construction materials such as black sand or macadam used in construction projects that do not require heavy load, such as pavements.

It can also be used to make by-products such as baking-free bricks or concrete for building rural roads.

The advanced technology will help to save land use and construction costs for new waste treatment facilities, he said.

The company applied the recycling construction waste technology for the first time in April at the construction site of the third ring road section from Mai Dich to Nam Thang Long.

However, Thanh said there were still several difficulties in applying new technologies. He said there was insufficient legal foundation for organisations and individuals to carry out solid waste treatment projects.

Vietnam also lacked technical standards for using by-products of treated waste, he said.

Thanh also noted that regulations on construction waste treatment did not cover the responsibilities of investors in treating such waste. As a result, the illegal practice of dumping construction waste continued.

According to the municipal Construction Department, about 2,000 tonnes of solid waste are discharged by construction sites in Hanoi each day.

Some of this waste is taken to four landfills in Dong Anh and Thuong Tín districts. However, these landfills are already overloaded.

In 2011, the Hanoi People’s Committee approved a project to set up 14 areas to collect and treat construction waste, but the lack of land has prevented its implementation to date.

Hanoi needs about VND11 trillion (US$488 million) to implement its solid waste treatment plan to 2030 (with a vision towards 2050). 

This figure includes VND3.5 trillion (US$155 million) from now until 2020.

The plan estimates that by 2030, more than 16,000 tonnes of solid waste discharged by households, industrial parks, construction sites and hospitals will have to be treated every day.

Seventeen solid waste treatment facilities, including eight existing ones, have been zoned off. The total area required for these facilities will be 422ha.

To carry out the project efficiently, the local administration has said that it will adopt policies and enhance communication campaigns to raise public awareness of environmental protection and initiate classification of solid waste by households.

The Hanoi Party Committee has promulgated a resolution on enhancing environmental protection until 2020 and beyond.

Under this, the capital city will focus on protection and sustainable use of water resources, effective management of discharges and cleaning up contaminated rivers and lakes.

By 2020, the city aims to complete treatment of waste from polluted lakes in the city and provide clean water to all rural residents. Waste treatment systems will be installed in all industrial parks and clusters, hospitals, medical centres and craft villages.

Meanwhile, the city has requested all construction sites to take measures to reduce dust and air pollution.

Mineral processing facilities have also been told to implement solutions to protect the environment, including the application of modern technologies to reduce emissions.

The city aims to increase recycling and reduce the burial of waste.

Relevant agencies have been tasked with preparing a master plan to deal with water pollution in rivers.

Aiming to effect fundamental changes in environmental protection in the next three years, Hanoi has ordered departments and sectors at all levels to step-up coordination in reducing pollution.

Apart from raising public awareness, the city will focus on refining policies and laws on environmental protection. It will also promulgate technical requirements on environmental protection in high-risk fields, urban areas with high population density and sensitive ecological regions.

Regulations on environmental protection will be revised towards preventing investment projects that use backward technology and production models with a high risk of pollution. Competent agencies will step up inspections to detect and tackle any violations of environmental regulations.

The city will also establish a centre for environment data management this year to examine waste discharge. It will also move facilities causing serious environmental pollution away from residential areas.