Accumulation and Reliability of Data on Municipal Solid Waste Management in Urban Areas of Vietnam

Abstract

Reliable data are necessary to evaluate the current status of municipal solid waste (MSW) management and improve current treatment systems. Many developing countries, however, lack reliable data on MSW. The objectives of this study were to accumulate data on MSW in urban areas of Vietnam in 2008 in order to confirm whether the fundamental data existed at the local level, and to evaluate the reliability of the data obtained from waste treatment facilities. Questionnaires about MSW management were distributed to 90 "urban environment companies" (waste management companies) that are in charge of managing MSW in urban areas of Vietnam. A top-down approach was used in the survey, which may have contributed to the high response rate (92%). The MSW collection amounts per person per day were compared with maximum and minimum values in published data; any values above or below these values were corrected if errors were identified in data collection or entry. The total reported population with MSW collection service was 19.1 million, which is about 22% of the total population of Vietnam. The total amount of MSW collected was about 5,335,000 t, 96% of which was transported to landfill sites and 4% to composting sites. The proportion of organic waste in terms of physical composition was 65% on average. Data on the population with MSW collection service and MSW collection amounts in Vietnam were more variable (less reliable) than those in Japan, and the results of our reliability analysis suggest that installation of weighbridges at treatment and disposal facilities would improve the reliability of MSW collection data in Vietnam.

Revisiting estimates of municipal solid waste generation per capita and their reliability

“…The use of weighbridges increases the reliability of data on MSW generation [103], but smaller municipalities often cannot afford weighbridges because of budget constraints. This disadvantage is evident in many developing countries, and many smaller municipalities have to estimate the annual MSW generation based on available information.…”

“…Municipal staff may carelessly or erroneously handle data on MSW generation and population with MSW collection service [103]. The national governments should, therefore, verify the data from municipalities.…”