Over the past five days, central Thanh Hoa City has been inundated with refuse, piling up in front of homes, along sidewalks, and on major roads like Quang Trung, Hac Thanh, and Mai An Tiem. Following the Tet holiday, the volume of household waste surged, primarily nylon bags, styrofoam containers, food scraps, and discarded ornamental peach and kumquat trees.

Waste piled up across Thanh Hoa's inner city, 23/2. Video: Le Hoang

Waste collection points are overflowing, and garbage trucks, despite being overloaded, cannot transport the waste for processing. Environmental workers cover the refuse piles with tarpaulins to reduce the odor. However, leachate seeps onto the roads, emitting a foul odor, particularly during midday sun.

Nguyen Thu Trang, a resident of Coc Ha street in Hac Thanh ward, stated that her family ties up their trash securely and places it in plastic bins outside their home, awaiting collection. No garbage trucks have arrived for three days. The humid weather intensifies the odor, and with young children in the household, there are significant health concerns.

An overflowing waste collection point near Dong Huong water park. Photo: Le Hoang

Similarly, numerous households on Quang Trung street are compelled to transport their waste to temporary storage points several hundred meters from their residences. However, the sheer volume of accumulated waste quickly overwhelms these points.

The primary cause of the disruption is the ongoing blockade of the Dong Nam landfill, the province's largest waste processing facility. Ho Viet Lan, Director of Thanh Hoa Urban Environment and Works Joint Stock Company, stated that inner-city collection operations are disrupted because waste cannot be transported to this central processing facility. Since 18/2 (the third day of Tet), dozens of residents residing near the Dong Nam landfill in Dong Quang ward have stationed themselves at the entrance, blocking garbage trucks. This marks the fourth time in two years that the landfill has been rendered inoperable due to local protests.

Trash spilling onto Mai An Tiem street causes traffic congestion. Photo: Le Hoang

The Dong Nam landfill, spanning approximately 30 hectares, features seven disposal cells with a designed capacity of 240-250 tons daily. However, in recent years, it has consistently received 400-500 tons of waste per day, with volumes soaring to over one thousand tons on some days before and after Tet. This sustained overloading has resulted in the rapid saturation of many cells and the generation of unpleasant odors.

At the Dong Nam landfill, Ecotech Environmental Technology Investment and Development Joint Stock Company has invested in an incinerator-based waste treatment system. However, the facility cannot achieve stable operation due to unresolved issues regarding processing unit costs. Trial operations have also led to resident complaints about foul odors.

Waste collection point on Hac Thanh street, near the Thanh Hoa Provincial Police headquarters. Photo: Le Hoang

According to Lan, the company is compelled to temporarily divert waste to neighboring districts such as Nghi Son and Bim Son. However, the considerable distance of 30-40 km means only about half of the inner-city waste can be transported daily, resulting in persistent accumulation.

While awaiting the resumption of operations at the Dong Nam landfill, environmental workers have been instructed to work extended shifts, prioritizing collection in central streets, densely populated residential areas, schools, and markets to minimize risks of pollution and disease.

Local authorities are continuing dialogues and appealing to Dong Quang ward residents to cease blocking garbage trucks, aiming to ensure urban waste treatment operations. However, as of now, no consensus has been reached among the parties.

After Tet Binh Ngo, waste volume increased as residents disposed of peach trees, kumquat trees, and ornamental flowers. Photo: Le Hoang

Under pressure from the mounting waste backlog, Thanh Hoa province has been compelled to reopen the Sam Son landfill to temporarily accept a portion of waste from the central region. This landfill had ceased receiving waste and officially closed on 31/1.

Le Hoang