Construction waste illegally discharged on the banks of a pond in Vinh Ngoc commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) -Hanoi authorities have approved a construction waste recycling project that canreplace some of the materials used in building pavements and rural roads.
The project, proposed by the municipal Construction Department, will useadvanced equipment that will remove the need for burying the waste, which is anenvironmentally-unfriendly solution.
Besides, landfills in the capital city are already overloaded with the largevolume of solid waste generated each day.
The Hanoi Solid Waste Treatment and Environmental Development Joint StockCompany will pilot the project in five districts: Hoang Mai, Cau Giay; Bac TuLiem; Thanh Tri and Dong Anh.
The project will crush construction waste with machines imported from Germanyand Austria.
Company director Dang Tien Thanh said this project will ensure that constructionwaste like broken bricks, cement, mortar and bitumen will be crushed, notburied.
The treated waste can replace construction materials such as black sand ormacadam used in construction projects that do not require heavy load, such aspavements.
It can also be used to make by-products such as baking-free bricks or concretefor building rural roads.
The advanced technology will help to save land use and construction costs fornew waste treatment facilities, he said.
The company applied the recycling construction waste technology for the firsttime in April at the construction site of the third ring road section from MaiDich to Nam Thang Long.
However, Thanh said there were still several difficulties in applying newtechnologies. He said there was insufficient legal foundation for organisationsand individuals to carry out solid waste treatment projects.
Vietnam also lacked technical standards for using by-products of treated waste,he said.
Thanh also noted that regulations on construction waste treatment did not coverthe responsibilities of investors in treating such waste. As a result, theillegal practice of dumping construction waste continued.
According to the municipal Construction Department, about 2,000 tonnes of solidwaste are discharged by construction sites in Hanoi each day.
Some of this waste is taken to four landfills in Dong Anh and Thuong Tíndistricts. However, these landfills are already overloaded.
In 2011, the Hanoi People’s Committee approved a project to set up 14 areas tocollect and treat construction waste, but the lack of land has prevented itsimplementation to date.
Hanoi needs about 11 trillion VND (488 million USD) to implement its solidwaste treatment plan to 2030 (with a vision towards 2050).
This figure includes 3.5 trillion VND (155 million USD) from now until 2020.
The plan estimates that by 2030, more than 16,000 tonnes of solid wastedischarged by households, industrial parks, construction sites and hospitalswill have to be treated every day.
Seventeen solid waste treatment facilities, including eight existing ones, havebeen zoned off. The total area required for these facilities will be 422ha.
To carry out the project efficiently, the local administration has said that itwill adopt policies and enhance communication campaigns to raise publicawareness of environmental protection and initiate classification of solidwaste by households.
The Hanoi Party Committee has promulgated a resolution on enhancingenvironmental protection until 2020 and beyond.
Under this, the capital city will focus on protection and sustainable use ofwater resources, effective management of discharges and cleaning upcontaminated rivers and lakes.
By 2020, the city aims to complete treatment of waste from polluted lakes inthe city and provide clean water to all rural residents. Waste treatmentsystems will be installed in all industrial parks and clusters, hospitals,medical centres and craft villages.
Meanwhile, the city has requested all construction sites to take measures toreduce dust and air pollution.
Mineral processing facilities have also been told to implement solutions toprotect the environment, including the application of modern technologies toreduce emissions.
The city aims to increase recycling and reduce the burial of waste.
Relevant agencies have been tasked with preparing a master plan to deal withwater pollution in rivers.
Aiming to effect fundamental changes in environmental protection in the nextthree years, Hanoi has ordered departments and sectors at all levels to step-upcoordination in reducing pollution.
Apart from raising public awareness, the city will focus on refining policiesand laws on environmental protection. It will also promulgate technicalrequirements on environmental protection in high-risk fields, urban areas withhigh population density and sensitive ecological regions.
Regulations on environmental protection will be revised towards preventinginvestment projects that use backward technology and production models with ahigh risk of pollution. Competent agencies will step up inspections to detectand tackle any violations of environmental regulations.
The city will also establish a centre for environment data management this yearto examine waste discharge. It will also move facilities causing seriousenvironmental pollution away from residential areas.-VNA
The project, proposed by the municipal Construction Department, will useadvanced equipment that will remove the need for burying the waste, which is anenvironmentally-unfriendly solution.
Besides, landfills in the capital city are already overloaded with the largevolume of solid waste generated each day.
The Hanoi Solid Waste Treatment and Environmental Development Joint StockCompany will pilot the project in five districts: Hoang Mai, Cau Giay; Bac TuLiem; Thanh Tri and Dong Anh.
The project will crush construction waste with machines imported from Germanyand Austria.
Company director Dang Tien Thanh said this project will ensure that constructionwaste like broken bricks, cement, mortar and bitumen will be crushed, notburied.
The treated waste can replace construction materials such as black sand ormacadam used in construction projects that do not require heavy load, such aspavements.
It can also be used to make by-products such as baking-free bricks or concretefor building rural roads.
The advanced technology will help to save land use and construction costs fornew waste treatment facilities, he said.
The company applied the recycling construction waste technology for the firsttime in April at the construction site of the third ring road section from MaiDich to Nam Thang Long.
However, Thanh said there were still several difficulties in applying newtechnologies. He said there was insufficient legal foundation for organisationsand individuals to carry out solid waste treatment projects.
Vietnam also lacked technical standards for using by-products of treated waste,he said.
Thanh also noted that regulations on construction waste treatment did not coverthe responsibilities of investors in treating such waste. As a result, theillegal practice of dumping construction waste continued.
According to the municipal Construction Department, about 2,000 tonnes of solidwaste are discharged by construction sites in Hanoi each day.
Some of this waste is taken to four landfills in Dong Anh and Thuong Tíndistricts. However, these landfills are already overloaded.
In 2011, the Hanoi People’s Committee approved a project to set up 14 areas tocollect and treat construction waste, but the lack of land has prevented itsimplementation to date.
Hanoi needs about 11 trillion VND (488 million USD) to implement its solidwaste treatment plan to 2030 (with a vision towards 2050).
This figure includes 3.5 trillion VND (155 million USD) from now until 2020.
The plan estimates that by 2030, more than 16,000 tonnes of solid wastedischarged by households, industrial parks, construction sites and hospitalswill have to be treated every day.
Seventeen solid waste treatment facilities, including eight existing ones, havebeen zoned off. The total area required for these facilities will be 422ha.
To carry out the project efficiently, the local administration has said that itwill adopt policies and enhance communication campaigns to raise publicawareness of environmental protection and initiate classification of solidwaste by households.
The Hanoi Party Committee has promulgated a resolution on enhancingenvironmental protection until 2020 and beyond.
Under this, the capital city will focus on protection and sustainable use ofwater resources, effective management of discharges and cleaning upcontaminated rivers and lakes.
By 2020, the city aims to complete treatment of waste from polluted lakes inthe city and provide clean water to all rural residents. Waste treatmentsystems will be installed in all industrial parks and clusters, hospitals,medical centres and craft villages.
Meanwhile, the city has requested all construction sites to take measures toreduce dust and air pollution.
Mineral processing facilities have also been told to implement solutions toprotect the environment, including the application of modern technologies toreduce emissions.
The city aims to increase recycling and reduce the burial of waste.
Relevant agencies have been tasked with preparing a master plan to deal withwater pollution in rivers.
Aiming to effect fundamental changes in environmental protection in the nextthree years, Hanoi has ordered departments and sectors at all levels to step-upcoordination in reducing pollution.
Apart from raising public awareness, the city will focus on refining policiesand laws on environmental protection. It will also promulgate technicalrequirements on environmental protection in high-risk fields, urban areas withhigh population density and sensitive ecological regions.
Regulations on environmental protection will be revised towards preventinginvestment projects that use backward technology and production models with ahigh risk of pollution. Competent agencies will step up inspections to detectand tackle any violations of environmental regulations.
The city will also establish a centre for environment data management this yearto examine waste discharge. It will also move facilities causing seriousenvironmental pollution away from residential areas.-VNA
VNA
