Decision No. 491/QD-TTg dated May 07, 2018 of the Prime Minister on approving the adjusted national strategy on integrated management of solid wastes up to 2025, with a vision toward 2050

DECISION

Approving the adjusted national strategy on integrated management of solid wastes up to 2025, with a vision toward 2050^[1]

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the June 19, 2015 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to the June 23, 2014 Law on Environmental Protection;

Pursuant to the June 18, 2014 Construction Law;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 38/2015/ND-CP of April 24, 2015, on management of wastes and scraps;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 59/2007/ND-CP of April 9, 2007, on management of solid wastes;

At the proposal of the Minister of Construction and the Minister of Resources and Environment,

DECIDES:

Article 1.To approve the adjusted national strategy on integrated management of solid wastes up to 2025, with a vision toward 2050, with the following contents:

1. Viewpoints

a/ Integrated management of solid wastes means the management of the whole life cycle of wastes from the time of generation to the time of disposal, covering prevention, reduction, sorting, collection, re-use, recycling and disposal, with a view to protecting human health and the environment, conserving natural resources, adapting to climate change and striving for the nation’s sustainable development;

b/ Integrated management of solid wastes is the common duty of the entire society with the State playing the leading role, which is based on increased investment, expanded socialization and maximum mobilization of every resource, conforming to the “polluters pay” principle according to which organizations and individuals that discharge wastes and cause environmental pollution and degeneration are obliged to contribute funds and redress and compensate for damage in accordance with law;

c/ Integrated management of solid wastes will be performed in an inter-regional and inter-sectorial manner, ensuring optimal economic and technical options and social and environmental safety; conforming to the natural and socio-economic conditions and various master plans within the national planning system;

d/ Generated solid wastes shall be managed toward being regarded as resources, be sorted and collected in conformity with selected disposal technologies; it is encouraged to dispose of wastes into raw materials, fuels or environment-friendly products; waste disposal should be combined with energy recovery and land saving and suit natural and socio-economic conditions of each locality, region and the country;

dd/ Investment will be made to build synchronous solid waste disposal systems, including the construction of solid waste disposal facilities; collection and transportation with appropriate technologies. Investment in solid waste management shall be made with focal points and priorities in different specific periods, avoiding scattered and inefficient investment.

2. Vision toward 2050

By 2050, all kinds of generated solid wastes shall be collected, re-used, recycled and disposed of with advanced and environment-friendly technologies suitable to practical conditions of each locality, minimizing the volume of solid wastes to be buried.

3. Objectives

a/ General objectives

- To prevent, control and substantially limit the increase of generated solid wastes and minimize the environmental pollution caused by solid wastes, contributing to the protection of human health and the environment, adapting to climate change and achieving the sustainable national development goal;

- To enhance the capability of integrated management of solid wastes, concurrently apply measures to step up the storage, collection, transportation, re-use, recycling and disposal of solid wastes; to expand the solid waste collection networks; to boost the sorting of solid wastes at source  together with the prevention and reduction of solid wastes generated from residential, production, business and service activities; to step up the socialization and attraction of investment from private and foreign sectors in the management of residential solid wastes;

- To apply advanced and environment-friendly solid waste disposal technologies; to opt for technologies of solid waste disposal in combination with energy recovery and reduction of greenhouse gas emission which are safe and suitable to each locality’s socio-economic conditions; to develop the recycling industry and encourage the use and consumption of products turned out from the solid waste disposal process.

b/ Specific objectives toward 2025:

- For hazardous solid wastes:

+ 100% of the total volume of hazardous solid wastes generated from production, business and service activities, health establishments and craft villages will be collected, transported and disposed of according to the environmental protection requirements;

+ 85% of hazardous solid wastes generated at households and by individuals will be collected, transported and disposed of according to the environmental protection requirements;

+ 100% of electronic equipment manufacturers will establish and announce their places for recovery of discarded products as prescribed by law.

- For urban residential solid wastes:

+ All urban centers of special grade and grade I will have solid waste recycling facilities suitable to household-based sorting; 85% of other urban centers will have solid waste recycling facilities suitable to household-based sorting;

+ 90% of the total volume of residential solid wastes generated in urban centers will be collected and disposed of according to the environmental protection requirements; to increase the capacity of recycling, reuse and disposal in combination with energy recovery and organic fertilizer production; to strive to reduce the rate of buried residential solid wastes to below 30% of the collected waste volume;

+ All plastic bags used at trade centers and department stores will be of environment-friendly types in replacement of non-biodegradable plastic bags;

+ 90-95% of the closed residential solid waste burial sites in urban centers will be converted and treated for land reuse;

+ Investment in the construction of new residential solid waste disposal facilities will ensure the post-disposal burial rate not exceeding 20%.

- For rural residential solid wastes:

+ 80% of the volume of residential solid wastes generated in rural residential areas will be collected, stored, transported, disposed of by households or at centralized facilities up to the environmental protection requirements, with organic wastes to be reused and recycled to the utmost as compost fertilizers or to be disposed of by households into compost fertilizers for on-spot use;

+ 95% of the closed residential solid waste burial sites in rural areas will be converted and treated for land reuse; 100% of the unplanned waste burial sites will be treated up to the environmental protection requirements;

+ Investment in the construction of residential solid waste disposal facilities will ensure the post-disposal burial rate not exceeding 20%.

- For ordinary industrial solid wastes:

+ 100% of the total volume of ordinary industrial solid wastes generated from production, business or service establishments and craft villages will be collected, reused, recycled and disposed of up to the environmental protection requirements;

+ 80% of the total volume of ash, slag or plaster generated from power plants and chemical and fertilizer factories will be recycled, reused and disposed of into production raw materials, building materials, ground leveling materials, etc., up to the environmental protection requirements.

- For other particular solid wastes:

+ 90% of the total volume of construction solid wastes generated in urban centers will be collected and disposed of up to the environmental protection requirements, of which 60% will be reused or recycled into products or materials with appropriate technologies;

+ 100% of septic tank sludge collected in urban centers will be disposed of up to environmental standards;

+ 80% of the volume of wastes generated from cattle and poultry husbandry will be collected, reused and recycled into compost fertilizer or biogas and disposed of up to the environmental protection requirements;

+ 80% of agricultural by-products generated from agricultural production will be collected, reused or recycled into environment-friendly raw materials, fuels and products;

+ 100% of agricultural chemical and pesticide containers will be collected, stored and disposed of in accordance with law;

+ 100% of solid medical wastes discharged from health establishments and  hospitals will be classified, collected, stored, transported and disposed of up to the environmental protection requirements.

4. Primary tasks

a/ Regarding hazardous solid wastes:

- Hazardous solid wastes shall be strictly managed and controlled from source to collection, transportation and final disposal. Hazardous solid waste disposal technologies shall be diversified with advanced and modern technologies;

- Electronic equipment manufacturers shall establish and announce discarded product collection points as required by law; consumers shall carry discarded products to these points or hand them over to organizations or individuals qualified for waste collection and transportation as prescribed by law for transportation to designated collection points;

- Inter-regional and inter-provincial collection and disposal of hazardous wastes will be encouraged; to build and develop provincial or inter-provincial hazardous waste disposal facilities according to the approved solid waste management master plan, applying advanced and modern technologies; to limit the development and gradually reduce the number of small and scattered disposal facilities prone to cause environmental pollution;

- To encourage the construction of intensive disposal and recycling facilities for specific hazardous wastes in combination with the development of disposal facilities capable of diverse recycling and disposal of various types of hazardous wastes; to intensify the transfer of wastes among waste disposal facilities in order to make full use of the strength of each facility in the disposal process;

- To limit then proceed to abolish the disposal of hazardous wastes at source with burning or burial technologies;

- To prioritize the simultaneous waste disposal in accordance with law in order to maximally limit the burning of wastes in special furnaces;

- To intensify the recycling and reuse of hazardous wastes; to limit the licensing of disposal activities by way of burial and solidification of hazardous wastes which are recyclable or reusable;

- To step up the elaboration and approval of plans on collection, transportation, storage and transit of hazardous wastes in localities in conformity with local conditions and environmental protection regulations in order to intensify the collection and disposal of hazardous wastes generated in small volumes or in deep-lying or remote areas;

- To encourage the disposal of hazardous medical wastes after the cluster or concentration model, restricting the scattered disposal of medical wastes at hospitals; to prioritize the disposal of contagious medical wastes by non-burning methods, especially the disposal of contagious medical wastes at source; to gradually reduce the number and limit investment in the construction of hazardous medical waste incinerators at district-level health establishments.

b/ Regarding residential solid wastes:

- To review and assess the implementation of the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 582/QD-TTg of April 11, 2013, approving the scheme on intensified control of environmental pollution caused by the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags in residential activities toward 2020; to limit then proceed to end in 2026 the import and production of non-biodegradable plastic bags and supply of non-biodegradable plastic bags at trade centers and department stores for residential activities;

- To build up models of socialization in the collection, transportation, storage and disposal of rural residential solid wastes; to establish organizations operating on the basis of self-financing and autonomous staff and property management, and procurement of garbage collection vehicles and trolleys to operate in larger areas with higher collection capacity;

- To further reduce, reuse, recycle and dispose of solid wastes in combination with energy recovery in order to save resources and reduce environmental pollution caused by wastes;

- To draw up plans and incrementally implement effectively the program on at-source sorting of residential solid wastes in conformity with the natural and socio-economic conditions and solid waste management capability of each locality.

- To select advanced and environment-friendly technologies suitable to the nature of wastes and local characteristics;

- To prioritize the construction of concentrated provincial or inter-provincial residential solid waste recycling and disposal facilities in line with the solid waste management master plan, ensuring their stable and efficient operation management;

- To renovate and upgrade unhygienic residential solid waste burial sites and solid waste-polluted and degenerated areas up to the environmental protection requirements; to thoroughly deal with unlicensed residential waste burial sites and prevent in time the arbitrary formation of burial sites after 2025;

- To mobilize every investment resource for and further socialize the collection, transportation, recycling and disposal of residential solid wastes, creating an environment for fair competition among different economic sectors while devising a roadmap for application of residential solid waste collection, transportation and disposal service charges suitable to local socio-economic conditions which cover collection and transportation expenses then disposal expenses, gradually reducing the state budget support for the solid waste collection, transportation and disposal; to pilot the collection of residential waste collection, transportation and disposal service charges based on waste volume;

- To schedule, plan and carry out the equitization of state enterprises providing residential solid waste management services;

- To guide the implementation of projects on development investment and operation management of residential solid waste disposal facilities as prescribed by law;

- To boost the investment in the construction of residential solid waste disposal projects in the public-private partnership form suitable to local socio-economic conditions;

- To heighten community awareness about and responsibility for the prevention, reduction, reuse, recycling and disposal of solid wastes, and the formation of environment-friendly lifestyles.

c/ Regarding ordinary industrial solid wastes

- Ordinary industrial solid wastes shall be managed and controlled from discharge sources to classification, collection, storage, transportation and disposal according to regulations;

- To promote the reuse and recycling of ordinary industrial solid wastes; to prioritize waste disposal in combination with energy recovery, minimizing the volume of buried wastes;

- To intensify the recycling and reuse of ash, slag and plaster for use as production raw materials, building and ground-leveling materials up to the environmental protection requirements;

- To prioritize the simultaneous disposal of ordinary industrial solid waste disposal at production establishments;

- To further carry out the cleaner production at industrial establishments with a view to restricting the discharge of solid wastes into environment.

d/ Regarding other particular solid wastes:

- Construction solid wastes shall be collected, recycled, reused and disposed of with appropriate technologies; to intensify the research and application of construction solid waste recycling technologies;

- Wastes generated from cattle and poultry husbandry shall be collected, recycled, reused and disposed of; to give the highest priority to the production of compost fertilizers and biogas;

- Solid wastes generated form agricultural production activities shall be collected, reused, recycled into environment-friendly raw materials, fuels and products;

- To intensify the collection and disposal of agricultural chemical and pesticide containers in accordance with law;

- To intensify the collection and disposal of septic tank sludge up to the environmental protection requirements; to prioritize the application of organic fertilizer production and energy recovery technologies meeting the environmental protection requirements.

5. Solutions for implementing the adjusted strategy

a/ To improve the system of legal documents, policies and mechanisms on solid waste management:

- To complete before 2020 the study, revision and improvement of legal documents on solid waste management in conformity with relevant laws and the national socio-economic development situation, focusing on:

+ Elaborating regulations and improving policies and mechanisms to encourage the reduction, reuse and recycling of solid wastes; setting appropriate roadmaps for the minimization then termination of the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags;

+ Improving regulations guiding the methods of setting charges for residential solid waste collection, transportation and disposal services, striving for the target that by 2025 the collected charges will fully offset collection and transportation expenses and by 2050 will offset 50% of disposal expenses;

+ Adding, and guiding the application of, the State’s incentives for investment projects to construct residential solid waste disposal facilities.

- To review, amend and supplement national standards, technical regulations and techno-economic norms related to solid waste management activities:

+ Issuing national standards, technical regulations and techno-economic norms applicable to the recycling and disposal of construction solid wastes and septic tank sludge;

+ Adding and issuing new national standards and technical regulations applicable to the construction of burial sites and disposal facilities for ordinary and hazardous solid wastes;

+ Issuing standards for residential solid waste storage, collection and transportation facilities and vehicles.

- To promulgate regulations on management of inter-provincial solid waste disposal zones and mechanism for coordination among related localities.

- To promulgate regulations on management and use of recycled products and materials for each form of solid waste recycling.

- To guide the conditions, process and procedures for enjoyment of incentives and supports from the environmental protection fund and other financial or credit institutions for investment projects on residential solid waste collection and transportation and construction of disposal facilities.

b/ To intensify scientific research, technology modernization and manufacture of solid waste recycling and disposal equipment:

- To intensify the research and application of advanced solid waste  recycling, reuse and disposal technologies, giving special priority to the development of technologies to recover energy and generate power from the disposal of solid wastes;

- To promote the implementation of national and ministerial key programs on research, application and transfer of sciences and technologies regarding integrated management of solid wastes; to attach importance to the improvement of domestic technological chains and equipment for solid waste collection, transportation and disposal.

- To study and apply norms and standards to the selection of technologies, design, construction and operation of solid waste disposal facilities;

- To improve and apply residential solid waste collection and transportation equipment, ensuring their aesthetic appearance and efficient use.

- To encourage organizations and individuals to participate in researching into solid waste disposal technologies suitable to Vietnam’s conditions.

c/ To review and adjust solid waste management planning:

- To review the implementation of the solid waste management master plans of key economic regions and river basins and local solid waste management master plans, and the contents of solid waste planning in urban master plans, taking into account the climate change issue, according to the objectives of the adjusted strategy;

- To review, adjust and make investment plans for development of solid waste disposal facilities under the approved master plans, identifying the investment demand, prioritized projects and tasks for each stage of the master plan or plan of each locality;

- To enhance the inspection and supervision of the implementation of approved solid waste management master plans and plans.

d/ To establish national and local solid waste databases (software development and data collection and reporting training).

dd/ To develop human resources for the implementation of the adjusted strategy:

- To conduct training to build solid waste management capacity for solid waste management and environment employees of central and local agencies and units;

- To consolidate and expand vocational training schools and centers with a view to raising the quality of training for skilled technical workers engaged in the management, operation and maintenance of solid waste disposal facilities.

e/ To increase propaganda and education:

- To develop and implement communication programs to raise community awareness at schools, population quarters, state agencies, and production, business and service establishments about the importance of reduction, at-source sorting, recycling and reuse of solid wastes and discharge of solid wastes at designated places;

- To develop environment education programs with contents and durations suitable to students of different age groups at different general education levels;

- To incorporate contents of solid waste management, including the prevention and reduction of generated solid wastes, use of environment-friendly materials, collection and transportation of solid wastes according to regulations in training programs run at agencies and production, business or service establishments.

g/ To intensify exchange and cooperation with other countries, international organizations and non-governmental organizations on capacity building training, experience learning, technical assistance, technology transfer and financial assistance in solid waste management.

6. Financial resources

a/ Local budget, central budget, loans from credit institutions, Vietnam Environmental Protection Fund and local Environmental Protection Funds, public-private partnership and other lawful capital sources, ensuring the achievement of the objectives of the
adjusted strategy as prescribed by law;

b/ Funding sources from waste source owners and other related stakeholders as prescribed.

Article 2.Organization of the adjusted strategy implementation

1. Tasks of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment:

a/ To assume the prime responsibility for the review, evaluation, inspection and supervision of the implementation of the adjusted strategy; to periodically organize the evaluation and drawing of experience from the implementation of the adjusted strategy and report them to the Prime Minister on an annual and five-year basis;

b/ To amend, supplement, formulate or promulgate legal documents, national standards, technical regulations on environmental protection regarding the solid waste management according to its competence;

c/ To direct and guide the at-source sorting of wastes suitable to local natural, socio-economic conditions and technical infrastructure for waste collection, transportation and disposal;

d/ To grant hazardous waste disposal licenses to hazardous waste disposal facilities in conformity with the hazardous waste-related orientations set down by the adjusted strategy, especially regarding disposal and recycling technologies and collection and transportation areas;

dd/ To promulgate or propose competent authorities to promulgate mechanisms, policies and technical instructions on environmental rehabilitation and restoration at seriously polluting solid waste burial sites and the process of closure of these sites upon operation termination;

e/ To establish and manage databases on solid wastes nationwide;

g/ To organize the examination, inspection and handling of organizations and individuals committing violations of the law on environmental protection in the field of solid waste management;

h/ To organize propaganda and education activities with a view to heightening community awareness about environmental protection and solid waste management.

2. Tasks of the Ministry of Construction:

a/ To review, study and promulgate or propose amendments to legal documents, national technical regulations and techno-economic norms on solid waste-related planning, construction investment and management according to its competence;

b/ To scrutinize and evaluate the implementation of solid waste management master plans approved by the Prime Minister; to guide localities to scrutinize and adjust their solid waste management master plans, contents of solid waste planning in urban master plans, taking into account the climate change issue, in conformity with the objectives, tasks and solutions identified in the adjusted strategy;

c/ To guide the formulation, appraisal and approval of investment projects on construction of solid waste disposal facilities in appropriate forms in accordance with the construction law, and supervise and inspect the  implementation thereof;

d/ To guide, urge and examine the formulation of roadmaps for application of residential solid waste collection, transportation and disposal service charges;

dd/ To summarize, evaluate and examine the implementation of the objectives and tasks as assigned in the strategy and according to its functions and tasks.

3. Tasks of the Ministry of Science and Technology:

a/ To organize the implementation of national scientific and technological tasks, programs and research projects regarding solid waste disposal, and provide instructions on application of appropriate solid waste disposal technologies;

b/ To boost the research and transfer of environment-friendly technologies in the disposal of solid wastes, and wastes and by-products from agricultural activities;

c/ To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Industry and Trade, and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in, researching into the renovation of solid waste recycling technologies in craft villages.

4. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall issue detailed technical instructions on the collection and storage of wastes generated from agricultural activities; intensify the inspection, supervision and guidance of the collection, transportation and storage of containers of plant protection chemicals, fertilizers and veterinary drugs used in agricultural activities.

5. The Ministry of Planning and Investment and Ministry of Finance shall guide, balance and allocate funds from the state budget and other sources for the implementation of the contents of the adjusted strategy.

6. Ministries and sectors shall, according to their respective functions and tasks assigned by the Government, plan and carry out related activities approved in the adjusted strategy.

7. Tasks of provincial-level People’s Committees:

a/ To prepare and issue plans for the implementation of the adjusted strategy, suitable to their local natural and socio-economic conditions;

b/ To review and adjust their solid waste management master plans and contents of solid waste management planning in local urban master plans in conformity with the adjusted strategy; to draw up and implement plans on development of solid waste disposal facilities under the approved master plans;

c/ To actively seek resources and call upon various economic sectors to invest in the sorting, collection, transportation and disposal of residential solid wastes in their localities; to set and apply charges for residential solid waste collection, transportation and disposal charges in their localities; to apply synchronous solutions to the disposal of solid wastes in concentrated rural residential areas;

d/ To direct, guide and organize the at-source sorting of solid wastes in their localities suitable to local conditions;

dd/ To allocate local annual non-business environment funds in support of residential solid waste disposal, transformation of closed burial sites, handling of unlicensed waste burial sites; to build and develop residential solid waste disposal models suitable to local characteristics;

e/ To direct and organize the equitization of state enterprises providing residential solid waste management services;

g/ To examine, inspect, and handle violations in solid waste management according to their competence;

h/ To organize propaganda, capacity building, and raising of awareness and responsibility of units and individuals for the integrated management of solid wastes and environmental protection in localities;

i/ To send annual and five-year reports on the achievement of the objectives and tasks of the adjusted strategy in their localities to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Construction and related ministries and sectors.

Article 3.Effect

1. This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing and replaces the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 2149/QD-TTg of December 17, 2009,  approving the national strategy on integrated management of solid wastes up to 2025, with a vision toward 2050.

2. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees and related organizations and individuals shall implement this Decision.-

For the Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
TRINH DINH DUNG