This proposal is among the contents on litter classification regulations issued by municipal authorities on November 14. 

HCM City tightens control over waste classification (Photo by SGGP)

According to the decision, people and households need to sort solid waste before it is collected for treatment facilities. Those households failing to classify waste more than three times per week will be fined.

Under the government’s solid waste management regulations, people who do not sort solid waste or do not hand over waste for environmental units have to pay the fine of VND15-20 million (USD652.17-869.56).

The city also encourages local people to use bags of different colours to classify waste.

Environmental workers will collect organic waste on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, while the remaining days will be for other kinds of waste.

People have to prepare bags and tools for waste classification as well as fees for the waste transportation and gathering service. Households are also required to sign a contract with environmental agencies for the work.

People have rights to inform local authorities of violations in waste gathering and transporting services.

The HCM City Department of Natural Resources and Environment stated that the sorting of garbage aims to reduce landfills to 60% and increasing the amount of recycled solid waste to 40% by 2020.

It estimates that the city produces around 8,000 tonnes of waste every day, an increase of more than 1,000 tonnes per day over 2016.

More than 80 percent of this is sent to landfills, and this is a huge obstacle in the city’s efforts to reduce environmental pollution.