Faced with this reality, Gia Lai province has approved the investment policy, calling on capable and experienced investors to participate in the domestic solid waste treatment plant project, in order to gradually build a green and environmentally friendly highland city.
Suburban areas face the risk of waste pollution
For many years, Bien Ho commune (belonging to the old Pleiku city area) has been organized by Gia Lai Urban Works Joint Stock Company to collect waste, ensuring environmental sanitation in accordance with regulations. However, after July 1, 2025, when implementing the two-level local government model, Bien Ho commune merged Nghia Hung, Tan Son and Ha Bau (old) communes, causing the amount of domestic waste generated to increase sharply. Meanwhile, due to financial difficulties, the collection work has not been deployed synchronously, leading to the appearance of many spontaneous landfills in the suburban area.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hien - Vice Chairman of Bien Ho Commune People's Committee - said: "Bien Ho commune does not yet have enough funds to hire a unit to collect and thoroughly treat waste. It is expected that in 2026, when new capital is allocated, the commune will re-sign a service contract with a waste collection and treatment unit in Gia Lai to ensure long-term environmental sanitation.
In Ia Hrung commune, the situation of spontaneous waste along pine hills also causes many concerns. Mr. Krung Dam Doan - Chairman of Ia Hrung Commune People's Committee - said that the local government has sent officials to the scene, hired service teams to collect and transport waste out of the pine forest area to avoid causing environmental pollution and affecting the image of tourism.
In the long term, Ia Hrung commune will install surveillance cameras in the pine hill area, strengthen propaganda, and strictly punish cases of littering in the wrong places.
Finding experienced waste treatment plant investors
In December 2025, Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee issued a decision approving the investment policy for the Household Solid Waste Treatment Plant project in Gao commune. Accordingly, the form of investor selection is bidding according to the provisions of law on bidding.
The project aims to thoroughly treat domestic solid waste using advanced, modern, and environmentally friendly technology. Secondary waste (shcum, slag) after treatment will be reused and recycled, contributing to reducing landfilling, improving the environment, ensuring community health and sustainable urban development. The plant must thoroughly treat odors and exhaust fumes; all machinery, equipment, and treatment lines must be new and unused equipment.
The project is expected to use a land area of 6.08ha, with a designed capacity of 300 tons of domestic solid waste/day. The service scope includes Pleiku, Hoi Phu, Thong Nhat, Dien Hong, An Phu wards and Bien Ho, Gao communes and some neighboring localities.
After 2035, based on actual needs and expanding service scope, the plant's capacity can be increased to 400 tons/day. The preferred treatment technology is waste incineration technology for electricity generation or mixed technology, in which priority is given to technology to maximize resource recovery from waste.
The total estimated investment for domestic technology and equipment is 200 billion VND; imported technology and equipment is about 250 billion VND. Specifically for waste incineration technology to generate electricity, the total estimated investment is about 900 billion VND.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Que - Vice Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee - requested that in case of successfully calling for investors to use waste incineration technology to generate electricity, the Department of Agriculture and Environment and the People's Committee of Gao commune coordinate with relevant agencies to guide investors to determine the land use purpose for energy projects, propose appropriate planning adjustments, and ensure conditions on water sources and infrastructure to implement the project.
In addition, the People's Committees of communes and wards of Pleiku, Hoi Phu, Thong Nhat, Dien Hong, An Phu, Bien Ho, Gao and neighboring areas are responsible for coordinating with the collection unit, organizing the maximum collection of domestic waste generated in the area, in order to meet the input waste output according to registration, creating conditions for the project to be put into effective operation soon.
