For many years, waste has been considered the "difficult problem" of Hanoi - a special city with high population density, rapid urbanization and a daily volume of domestic waste up to thousands of tons. Overloaded landfills, prolonged environmental hotspots have been a nightmare not only for suburban residents, but also for the urban management system. However, the latest information on the city's waste treatment orientation shows an important turning point: Hanoi is moving closer to the goal of becoming a city without waste - in the true sense of modern, civilized and sustainable.
According to the latest report of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment, the city strives to start the expansion of two waste incineration and power generation projects in Xuan Son and Nam Son before February 28, 2026, to be completed in the first quarter of 2027. When combined with the two existing plants, Hanoi will ensure 100% treatment of generated domestic waste by incineration and power generation methods, without landfilling. This is not just a technical figure, but a strategic policy statement.
Hanoi's goal of treating 100% of domestic waste with electricity generation technology shows a fundamental change in urban management thinking: Not only treating waste for "cleanness", but treating waste for "utility". Electricity generated from waste contributes to supplementing energy sources, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions - an increasingly urgent requirement in the context of climate change.
Not stopping at domestic waste, the city is also gradually solving another "block" of solid construction waste. It is expected that in 2026, Hanoi will put into operation 4 crushing and treatment sites with a capacity of about 2,500-3,000 tons per day.
From a management perspective, these steps show that Hanoi is approaching waste issues in a synchronous, methodical and long-term direction, instead of handling situations. When treatment infrastructure is invested with sufficient capacity and technology is selected according to modern standards, the problem of "where to put waste, where to bury it" will gradually give way to a new question: How to reduce waste, sort waste and maximize value from waste.
However, to become a true "waste-free city", technology alone is not enough. That is also the story of social awareness and behavior change. Sorting waste at source, reducing the use of disposable plastic, sustainable consumption - seemingly small things but decisive for the efficiency of the entire treatment system. When people understand that waste is no longer buried but transformed into electricity, into resources, social consensus will be an important foundation for policies to go into life.
Hanoi's journey towards a "waste-free city" also has a leading and spreading meaning. With the role of the Capital, Hanoi's effective models and ways of doing things will become valuable experiences for other large cities struggling with the waste problem.
The road to becoming a garbage-free city still has many things to do, but the direction is clear. And when garbage is no longer a burden, but becomes a resource, it is also when the face of a green, clean, and civilized Capital is clearly defined.
