On the morning of May 15, Thanh Hoa Urban Environment and Construction Joint Stock Company said that the company is running vehicles at full capacity. Up to now, the company has transported about 90% of the volume, and it is expected that the city will run out of garbage today.
Faced with prolonged pollution, since May 10, 2025, people in Dong Nam commune have set up tents, blocked the garbage truck road, preventing continued garbage from being brought to the treatment site. This action paralyzed the garbage collection system in Thanh Hoa City, causing hundreds of tons of household waste to be congested at collection points, giving off a foul smell, and overflowing onto the streets and residential areas.
In order to solve this situation, the government of Thanh Hoa City organized a dialogue with the people of Dong Nam commune on May 13, 2025. At the dialogue, representatives of Ecotech Investment and Environmental Technology Development Joint Stock Company, the factory operating unit, recorded the people's feedback as legitimate and committed to investing in improving the processing plant to minimize the spread of odors during operation. The company is also committed to the next 4 months to complete the overcoming the smell as the people reflect.
After the dialogue, the people agreed to allow garbage trucks to the beach. By the morning of May 14, 2025, Thanh Hoa Urban Environment and Urban Works Joint Stock Company collected and brought garbage to the yard for treatment.
The Southeast Waste Treatment Plant, located in Dong Nam Commune, Dong Son District (now Thanh Hoa City), is the largest waste treatment facility in Thanh Hoa Province with an area of about 30 hectares. put into operation since 2013, the plant receives and processes all household waste in Thanh Hoa City and some neighboring areas, with an average volume of 400-450 tons per day.
However, after more than a decade of operation, the factory has revealed many shortcomings, especially the increasingly serious environmental pollution. People in neighboring villages such as Son Luong, Hanh Phuc and Doan reported that the stench from decomposable waste often covers residential areas, leachate flows black, suspected of showing signs of overflowing, polluting soil and domestic water.
The case at the Southeast landfill, Thanh Hoa City clearly shows a loophole in the province's centralized waste treatment model. When the only treatment point was stalled, the entire collection - transportation - treatment system was stalled, causing serious consequences for tens of thousands of households. More importantly, Thanh Hoa City currently does not have a replacement plan for feasibility in terms of infrastructure, finance and logistics.
