Abstract
The paper presents the current situation of the waste management system of the megacity Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, and the options for waste and land recycling in a low income country. Generally, there is a large potential for circular economy in the city as the main proportion of the waste flows are recyclables. Due to the missing selective collection system, this potential is not used in the full extend yet, even if the collection of the entire waste volumes is envisaged in the National Waste Management Strategy by 2025. The waste stocks are the landfill locations in the region of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), two of them being in operation and two of them already being closed. A special focus is given to the landfill Gò Cát, which was subject to an option analysis in terms of waste and land recycling options. The results indicate that there are several reuse options: the use of the landfill material in a waste-to-energy process after landfill mining, the reuse of the re-gained land in case of landfill mining, the reuse of the capped landfill for energy crop cultivation, and the gasification in a biogas plant in case of a remaining landfill.
Highlights
The General Statistics Office (GSO) forecasts that by 2024, Vietnam’s population will reach 100 million [1], making Vietnam the 14th most densely inhabited country in the world, and resulting in a constant pressure on the natural resources
Beside the future circular waste streams on the long term, a circular economy potential on the short term, which concerns a potential for land recycling after landfill mining, exist
The recycling targets of the National Waste Management Strategy provide a sufficient framework for a circular economy in Vietnam, focusing on a complete waste collection by 2025
Summary
The General Statistics Office (GSO) forecasts that by 2024, Vietnam’s population will reach 100 million [1], making Vietnam the 14th most densely inhabited country in the world, and resulting in a constant pressure on the natural resources. Further pressure is caused because people living in urban areas use 2–3 times more natural resources than rural inhabitants. Vietnam has a vital base of about 45% of the population being between the ages 25 and 54, and another 42% under the age of 24 This situation and the slowing population growth rate (at 0.97%) [1] indicates that Vietnam’s economy is maturing and forming a growing middle class that is increasingly seeking a higher standard of living in cities. This leads to an increasing demand for urban housing in the cities, driving the property prices in the cities upwards
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