Ho Chi Minh City plans mandatory source-based waste sorting starting in 2027

From pilot programs to citywide waste sorting

In Tan My ward, a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) station model has been operating since April 2026, implemented by Unilever Vietnam and GRAC in coordination with local authorities. In just three months of operation, the model has collected more than 5.5 tons of recyclable materials, with over 700 resident visits recorded.

According to Nguyen Truong Giang, Vice Chairman of the Tan My Ward People's Committee, the MRF station not only provides a destination for sorted waste but also helps residents build the habit of sorting while giving them a clearer view of the outcome of their efforts.

"We've observed a very high rate of repeat participation among residents. Data from the collection activity has also become a tool for local authorities to monitor and evaluate implementation and develop appropriate solutions," Giang said.

According to Nguyen, having a legal framework is a first step but not sufficient on its own. What matters more is how implementation is organized so that sorting genuinely becomes part of everyday life. In practice, existing pilot models show that one of the biggest bottlenecks lies not in public awareness but in what happens further down the chain.

According to Nguyen Hong Nguyen, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Agriculture and Environment, the city already has a number of fairly effective source-collection and waste-sorting models in place. This shows that source-based sorting can be effective even in the absence of formal citywide regulations.

Under a plan the Department of Agriculture and Environment is currently proposing to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, the city will implement source-based sorting of domestic solid waste citywide starting in 2027. At that point, not only residents but also government agencies and organizations will be required to participate.

"The city is facing the need to shift from voluntary, pilot-scale models to a mechanism that is mandatory and more synchronized. The scope will expand to cover the entire city. All city residents, as well as agencies and sectors, will be required to comply," Nguyen said.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Linh, Vice Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Women's Union, said many union members have begun paying attention to and practicing source-based sorting. However, there have been cases where waste sorted by residents was later collected together as mixed waste. This has left residents feeling that their efforts were not adequately recognized.

Another issue is that residents often do not know where to bring sorted waste due to a lack of convenient collection points. This is an issue that needs to be resolved if Ho Chi Minh City wants to turn waste sorting from a movement into a regular, everyday behavior.

Residents also need to see at least three things clearly: a clear understanding of their own responsibility, knowledge of how to carry it out, and most importantly, visible results and benefits from sorting.

Effectiveness, in this context, means not just that waste is collected, but that sorted waste is subsequently collected, transported, and treated according to its designated category. Benefits, meanwhile, can come from lower waste fees for households that sort well, as well as economic value generated from recyclable materials.

Collection and treatment systems must change

Source-based waste sorting is not a new regulation. The 2020 Law on Environmental Protection already requires households and individuals to sort waste into three categories: reusable/recyclable waste, food waste, and other domestic waste.

Failure to sort waste in accordance with regulations can result in fines ranging from VND 500,000 to VND 1 million. In practice, however, implementation has continued to depend on each locality's roadmap and its collection and treatment conditions.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the primary objective in the past was largely to encourage residents to dispose of waste in designated locations. Under the upcoming citywide mandate, however, the bar will be raised: waste must be sorted correctly, collected correctly, transported correctly, and delivered to the correct treatment facility.

Nguyen Hong Nguyen said the state needs to strengthen the legal framework, provide technical guidance, and step up public communication. At the same time, the city must effectively organize recyclable waste collection channels in order to create tangible benefits for residents.

Importantly, the city needs to connect three parties: government, businesses, and residents. In this arrangement, government is responsible for setting policy and mobilizing resources; residents are the ones carrying out the sorting and need incentives to sustain the behavior; and businesses need a stable supply of recycled raw materials for production.

"Only by connecting these three parties can waste sorting form a genuine circular chain, rather than stopping at the stage of encouraging residents to sort. That's why source-based sorting starting in 2027 isn't simply a matter of 'requiring residents to do it.' It's a matter of reorganizing the city's entire waste management chain," Nguyen said.

Ho Chi Minh City recently issued a decision applying new pricing regulations for domestic waste collection, transport, and treatment, effective September 1. Under the new rules, households that sort their waste correctly will be charged based on weight/volume, while those that fail to sort or sort incorrectly will be charged a flat per-capita rate.

The city generates more than 14,000 tons of waste per day, placing significant pressure on its collection, transfer, and treatment systems. Landfilling still accounts for a relatively high share, at up to 60%. Moreover, the city's massive, decades-old landfill mounds, totaling millions of tons, are nearing capacity and can no longer accept additional waste.

To address this challenge, Ho Chi Minh City is implementing a coordinated set of solutions spanning source sorting, collection, and treatment. The city will sort organic waste and reuse it as feedstock for livestock and aquaculture feed production. The city is also considering ways to reclaim value from landfill mounds accumulated over decades, turning them into a resource.

The city has also set requirements for its collection system. The goal is for 100% of source-collection vehicles to be converted to meet technical standards, and for 100% of transfer stations to meet technical and environmental protection requirements. At the same time, the city has introduced policies to support the conversion of collection and transport vehicles and the application of information technology in waste management.

$ 1 = 26,260 VND (Source: Vietcombank)