CURRENT STATUS OF CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE MANAGEMENT IN VIETNAM: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Abstract

With rapid urbanization and economic growth on all fronts, much construction is conducted
everywhere in Vietnam, especially in big cities such as Hanoi, Haiphong, and Ho Chi Minh. All these activities,
new construction, renovation, and demolition of buildings and structures, generate huge amounts of waste,
called construction and demolition waste (CDW). According to the State of the Environment report of 2011 on
solid waste management issued by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the total municipal solid
waste generation was about 60 thousand tons/day on average, of which the CDW waste accounts for 10–12%
of total solid waste. In order to maximize the potential positive impacts but at the same time to minimize the
negative effects of modernization and industrialization in Vietnam, it is necessary to take immediate measures
to protect the environment. This paper describes the current condition of CDW management in Vietnam and
presents the challenges and opportunities of CDW recycling. The end solution intended will be to propose
suitable CDW management and recycling strategies that suit these conditions with proven benefits for all
stakeholders.