Recycling food waste: [2] Hanoi remains unsolved

Lack of infrastructure for food waste sorting and treatment

In major cities like Hanoi, food waste has become a major concern. A fast-paced lifestyle, the habit of excessive consumption, and poor coordination in waste collection and treatment have led to a rapid increase in food waste, making it difficult to control and placing a heavy burden on waste treatment and environmental sanitation.

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Recycling food waste: [1] Value from discarded things

According to current regulations, the city is piloting a system to sort domestic waste into four categories: recyclable and reusable solid waste (paper, plastics, metals); bulky waste (wardrobes, beds, mattresses, tables, chairs); hazardous waste (batteries, accumulators, light bulbs, chemical containers, ink cartridges, televisions, refrigerators); and other solid domestic waste (food waste and other waste). This classification system is currently being piloted in several areas in the city center. Under this scheme, food waste belongs to the “other domestic waste” category, mixed with items such as diapers, soiled food packaging, plastic bags, and tissue paper.

"My family has been sorting waste into four groups as required by the city. I usually mix food waste with other trash, such as plastic bags and tissue paper. As this type of waste easily smells and causes unsanitary conditions, I have to take it out every day," said a resident of Hoan Kiem ward.

After households sort their waste as instructed, the environmental sanitation company collects it according to a specific schedule, depending on the locality. The "other domestic waste" group is transported to treatment facilities for incineration to generate electricity or for landfill.

According to Ms. Hoang Hong Hanh, Head of the Environment and Sustainable Development Department at the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Agriculture and Rural Development (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), failing to separate food waste causes a waste and directly reduces treatment efficiency.

Currently, Vietnam's infrastructure for sorting waste at source remains limited, from the lack of dedicated bins for each waste type to an unsynchronized collection network. In many residential areas, a single type of garbage truck is still used, causing waste that households have carefully sorted at home to be easily mixed again during transportation.

In addition, most transfer stations and treatment plants are still designed to receive mixed waste and have not been sufficiently invested in to process organic waste or enable effective recycling separately. This creates a vicious cycle, making waste management increasingly complex.

An unsolvable problem of food waste

Food waste is not just about leftovers or spoiled vegetables. It actually represents losses across the entire value chain, from production and transportation to consumption, consuming land, water, and energy while contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.

When food waste is incinerated to generate electricity, its organic content with high moisture lowers the burner's calorific value, making the process more energy-consuming while reducing power generation efficiency. Conversely, when landfilled, food waste releases methane gas, negatively impacting air quality and public health.

According to Ms. Hoang Hong Hanh, if not sorted, food waste not only wastes resources but also leads to multiple socio-economic consequences, from higher collection and treatment costs to negative impacts on the living environment and public health. Besides, food waste sorting is a critical step that determines the effectiveness of recycling.

In reality, in several suburban districts of Hanoi, such as Dong Anh, Hoai Duc, and Thanh Tri, some residents still collect leftovers from restaurants and eateries to feed pigs or chickens.

Mr. Nguyen Van Bay in Dong Anh district shared, "Every day I collect leftover rice and soup for my herd of more than 20 pigs. It saves money on feed and prevents waste. As long as the food is clean and not spoiled, it can be used." According to him, many restaurants are willing to give away leftovers for free, as long as collectors come on time and avoid causing inconvenience. However, he admitted that this practice relies mostly on personal relationships and is not a sustainable solution.

This reality shows that to make food waste sorting and collection truly effective, a synchronized infrastructure must be established, from collection to treatment. The lack of bins, specialized vehicles, and appropriate treatment technologies is hindering the efforts of source waste sorting. Therefore, beyond awareness-raising campaigns, it is essential to establish a clear technical framework to ensure that each type of waste, particularly food waste, is appropriately treated rather than mixed together as it is currently.

Proper collection and treatment of food waste is the first step toward reducing pollution, cutting costs, and moving toward sustainable development. However, without a synchronized infrastructure system, all efforts to sort waste at source will struggle to be put into practice. Only when such infrastructure is in place can sorting waste in general and food waste in particular become a sustainable habit.