Waste management crises and innovations in Southeast Asia

Waste management challenges are escalating across Southeast Asia, ranging from severe environmental pollution to innovative urban solutions.

In Ninh Binh, Vietnam, residents living near the Nam Dinh Environment Joint Stock Company waste treatment complex report significant hardship. The facility, which has been in use since 1999, has exceeded its landfill capacity since 2018. Residents face constant foul odors and dense swarms of flies, which impact daily life and hygiene. To manage the overflow while awaiting a new waste-to-energy plant, the site has undergone ten expansions to accommodate accumulating waste.

Phuket, Thailand, is facing its seventh waste management crisis as the local municipal waste treatment center has exceeded its 900,000-ton capacity, with accumulated waste surpassing 1.2 million tons. Authorities have suspended waste reception indefinitely to reorganize the landfill. The crisis has led to logistical disruptions, including drivers dumping waste on roads leading to the site.

In contrast, Thanh Khe Ward in Da Nang, Vietnam, is piloting a new waste collection model to address delays in densely populated alleys. Moving away from traditional methods, the ward is implementing a scheduled bin system using specialized containers equipped with QR codes. This digital approach aims to improve collection consistency and urban hygiene in areas where waste previously sat for up to seven days.