Recycling food waste: [End] Conditions for success

Multiple benefits of sorting food waste

Food waste with easily decomposable organic matter currently accounts for a significant share of daily domestic waste. If not treated effectively, this large volume of food waste results in resource wastage and places heavy pressure on the urban environment.

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This reality highlights that waste sorting at source, particularly for organic food waste, plays a crucial role in addressing the waste treatment problem. Prof. Dr. Dang Thi Kim Chi, former Deputy Director of the School of Environmental Science and Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, emphasized that separating organic food waste right at the point of generation can turn it into raw materials for agriculture, crop production, and livestock farming, while simultaneously reducing landfill pressure and limiting environmental pollution.

She noted that the habit of utilizing biodegradable food waste is not new. For a long time, individuals have been collecting leftovers from restaurants or small residential clusters to use as animal feed in Hanoi and some other localities. This practice represents a spontaneous, livelihood-driven form of waste sorting that has not been systematized, taking place mainly at food service and processing facilities and not yet widely adopted at the household level.

Unlike the earlier practice of reusing organic waste, which was spontaneous and limited to certain food establishments, today's waste sorting is carried out in a systematic manner. Specifically, each household is required to have separate containers for each type of waste. The sorted waste is collected separately using specialized vehicles and then processed or recycled at appropriate facilities.

When properly separated, food waste can be composted into high-quality organic bio-fertilizer or processed into feed for livestock and aquaculture, instead of being buried, which wastes both land and resources. "Every household has leftovers and discarded food items. If we sort them at source and collect them separately, we can not only cut treatment costs but also make use of their beneficial components," Ms. Chi stressed.

Urban–rural differences

Although sorting food waste at source is not a new concept and has been practiced in many places, there remain clear differences between urban and rural areas.

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In rural areas, most households combine crop production with livestock farming, so food waste is often utilized directly. "People can collect food waste to supplement feed for livestock, shrimp, or fish raised in family ponds, or dig small burial pits in their gardens to dump leftovers, turning them into fertilizer for crops. We only need to introduce them to add microbial preparations that help accelerate and improve the decomposition process, and they will continue sorting waste because they can see the practical benefits," said Prof. Dr. Dang Thi Kim Chi.

In contrast, in urban areas, where household-scale livestock farming and crop production are virtually absent, waste sorting remains necessary but depends on centralized collection and treatment systems. Under the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, domestic waste must be classified into three groups: food waste (organic waste), recyclable and reusable solid waste, and other solid domestic waste. Accordingly, the collection system must align with these three categories, ensuring that organic waste is delivered directly to treatment facilities without being mixed with other types of waste. "The prerequisite is a synchronous infrastructure, from separate bins for organic waste and dedicated collection vehicles to specialized food waste treatment plants," Prof. Dr. Dang Thi Kim Chi emphasized.

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Ms. Chi noted that, whether in urban or rural areas, all public efforts to sort waste will become meaningless if waste, after being sorted at the generation source, is collected together in the same garbage truck and sent to a landfill, as previously happened in Hanoi.

According to Ms. Chi, the quality of organic fertilizer, which is the end product of food waste treatment plants, depends heavily on the initial sorting stage. Many plants still have to remove plastic, metal, glass, and other contaminants, often without complete success. As a result, the bio-organic fertilizer produced can only be used for forestry trees and is unsuitable for vegetables or fruit crops. "If effective sorting is done at the source and only organic waste is collected and sent to microbial processing plants, the fertilizer will be of higher quality, safer, and usable on a much wider scale," she affirmed.

Conditions for successful organic waste sorting

To effectively sort waste at source, it is essential to consider the specific characteristics of each area and design appropriate solutions. According to Prof. Dr. Dang Thi Kim Chi, in rural areas, there is little need to persuade residents to classify food waste, as they are accustomed to utilizing organic waste and can compost it directly in their gardens through small-scale compost pit models for individual households or household groups.

In contrast, urban areas, where large volumes of organic waste are generated daily, require a different approach: prioritizing pilot programs for food waste sorting at source in densely populated areas with many restaurants, eateries, and markets. At the same time, sorted waste should be separately collected and delivered to centralized treatment at facilities or plants specialized in treating and recycling pre-sorted waste. Waste sorting at source can only be truly effective when there are appropriate policies and regulations, public support at the local level, and most importantly, synchronous technical infrastructure, from waste sorting to the transportation of sorted waste to specialized treatment and recycling facilities. These conditions will create the foundation for scaling up.

Regarding the treatment scale, Hanoi is preparing to put into operation a food waste treatment plant in Phu Xuyen, opening a new pathway. Prof. Chi emphasized the need to prioritize large-capacity plants that apply advanced technologies and are strictly monitored from input to output to ensure product quality.

In contrast, small-scale facilities following the "one small-capacity treatment site per commune" model often face challenges regarding investment, operation, and controlling environmental pollution caused by wastewater and emissions. However, in rural areas, on-site treatment models for food waste and other easily degradable organic matter at households or household groups with crop production and livestock farming activities remain suitable and should be supported with microbial preparations.

According to Ms. Chi, three key conditions must be met for organic waste sorting to be effective. The first is synchronous infrastructure, including storage bins, collection vehicles, and treatment plants. The second is a closed process, ensuring that sorted waste is treated properly and in accordance with local conditions. The third is community awareness and responsibility, where residents need to understand the benefits and voluntarily comply.

She also emphasized the importance of communication to help people recognize that waste sorting is not a burden but a practical action to protect the environment, save resources, and reduce treatment costs in the long term.

"When the three factors, including technical infrastructure, a systematic process for sorting, collecting, and treating waste, and community awareness and responsibility, are guaranteed, organic waste sorting will not only become feasible but will also generate sustainable economic and environmental value," Prof. Dr. Dang Thi Kim Chi stressed.