While developed countries invest millions of USD in waste recycling for savings and environmental protection, Vietnam – a poor country – is among the top nations which are wasting this “new” resource.

Uncontrolled waste discharging and problems associated with rubbish treatment has become a big problem in Vietnam, particularly in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

It is estimated that Hanoi discharges around 5,000 tonnes of waste per day. At the annually average growth rate of 15 percent, environmentalists warn that by 2012, the capital city will have no space for burying waste.

Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s largest city, has over 7,000 tonnes of rubbish. It spends VND235 billion (USD11.7 million) from the state budget for waste treatment.

The most popular method of waste treatment in Vietnam is burning and burying waste. People still discharge rubbish to lakes, canals and rivers, causing environmental pollution.

Apart from protecting the environment, investing in waste treatment promises to yield great economic and social benefits. Some pioneers in this field have begun to earn profit from waste recycling.

According to the Vietnam Paper Association, some local companies have installed modern equipment to recycle pulp from waste, with total annual capacity up to 190,000 tonnes. However, only 50 percent of used papers in Vietnam are collected for recycling. This is a very low rate in comparison with 80 percent in neighboring countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.