Innovation in waste collection: Stopping plastic from reaching the sea
According to a representative from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam, innovating waste collection technology in rivers will help the Southeast Asian country to prevent plastic waste from reaching the sea.
Hanoi (VNA) - Patrick Haverman, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Viet Nam, emphasized🅠 the importance of promoting innovation and developing technology to collect waterway w🧜aste.
According to UNDP, plastic pollution is an urgent issue that seriously threatens the environment and human health, especially in urban and coastal communities.
Updated statistics from UNDP show that Vietnam generates approximately 3 million tons of solid waste annually, with about 2.5% leaking into waterways. In Ho Chi Minh City alone, nearly 2,000 tons of plastic waste are discarded daily.
During a technical workshop on sustainable solutions for river and canal waste management, organised by UNDP Vietnam and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment on September 20, Bui Xuan Cuong, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, emphasised that achieving the goals of improving the quality of river and canal environments requires effective control of waste sources. This includes the collection and treatment of both wastewater and urban waste, which the city is committed to addressing.
Patrick Haverman, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Viet Nam, emphasized the importance of promoting innovation and developing technology to collect waterway waste.
Increased collection of plastic waste in rivers, canals and ditches reduces plastic pollution released into the environment. (Photo: Vietnam+)
The UNDP representative also expressed the organisation’s desire to continue collaborating with Ho Chi Minh City on solid waste management projects, particularly in waste sorting at the source and the establishment of material recovery facilities (MRF).
Ho Kien Trung, Deputy Director of the Department of Environmental Pollution Control at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said that strict management measures and cooperation among relevant parties are crucial to addressing the growing issue of plastic waste.
Sharing her experience in collecting waste from the Can Tho River and lessons from international projects, Charlotte de Jong, Regional Development Manager for Asia at The Ocean Cleanup, noted that advanced technology and international cooperation are essential in effectively tackling plastic waste in rivers, especially in countries with significant plastic waste generation.
At the workshop, experts shared lessons from deploying the Interceptor 003 waste collection system in the Can Tho River. According to them, although the system has helped reduce plastics pollution on the river, its collection efficiency has yet to reach its designed capacity due to complex hydrological conditions and a lack of regulations on economic and technical standards.
Therefore, the experts said, the government should quickly improve the legal framework to maintain and expand sustainable waste collection solutions in other localities, such as rivers, canals, and streams.
Additionally, it is necessary to strengthen public-private partnerships with support from international organisations to accelerate the green transition and achieve the goal of reducing marine plastic waste by 75% by 2030./.
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