The situation of glass waste, such as broken bottles, sharp pieces of glass, ... dumped from small alleys to major roads is becoming increasingly common in many residential areas in Can Tho City. This situation not only causes loss of urban beauty but also poses a high risk of accidents and environmental pollution.
According to the reporter's records in the wards of An Binh, Long Tuyen, Tan An, many spontaneous garbage collection points appeared along the alleys, where people threw away broken glass, broken light bulbs, bricks, stones, and sharp materials right next to the roadside.
"The broken glass is often mixed with household waste, making it difficult to see. Just be careful, if your right hand is severed and kicked, it will be very dangerous, said Ms. Tuyet Mai, a resident of Alley 2, 3/2 Street, Tan An Ward.
Not only are people affected, but environmental sanitation workers also face the risk of injury during the garbage collection process.
Due to sharp and hard-to-decompose properties, if glass waste is not properly classified, it can cause serious work accidents.
Mr. Tra An Dao - Director of Binh Thuy Branch Factory, Can Tho Urban Joint Stock Company - informed that currently, the unit only collects common household waste. Special types of waste such as glass, light bulbs, sharp materials... are not included in the periodic collection area.
"We can only mobilize people to raise awareness, dump garbage in the right place, and not littered the streets, especially dangerous garbage such as broken glass," Mr. Dao added.
glass waste, especially broken glass and bulbs, has sharp properties, can easily cause damage and is very difficult to decompose. If not properly treated, it will have a long-term impact on the soil, water environment and public safety.
More seriously, children and pedestrians are the most vulnerable. Many small accidents have occurred in residential areas because people accidentally step on pieces of glass thrown in the wrong place.
According to the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, from January 1, 2025, households and individuals must classify waste at source into 3 groups: recyclable waste, organic waste and the remaining waste. After that, the garbage will be collected, gathered, and transported.
In Can Tho, the classification of waste has been proactive since 2017, Can Tho City according to the policy of dividing into 3 types: burnable waste, non-burnable waste, and damaged waste. However, in general, the work of classifying waste in Can Tho City is still confusing.
