Rapid urbanization and population growth are creating great pressure on the solid waste management system in Ho Chi Minh City. In addition to improving end-of-stream treatment capacity, the city faces an urgent requirement to complete collection and transshipment infrastructure. Many existing waste compaction stations built a long time ago have clearly revealed inadequacies in area, capacity and technology. Overloading occurs in many places, while the central core area lacks suitable collection points, causing garbage to be transported far away, increasing costs and creating great pressure on the collection force.
Mr. Vo Van Quang - Director of Nhat Minh Environment Technical Trading and Service Co., Ltd. - said that the biggest obstacle currently lies in the planning and quality of gathering points. Previously, there were two transfer points in An Lac ward, but now the point on road 54 has been removed, leaving only the point on road No. 7. This transfer point is located right in a residential area, with very high traffic density, so it does not meet the criteria for area, environment as well as traffic infrastructure. Leachate from collection trucks, if not treated promptly, will cause stench, directly affecting urban aesthetics and people's lives.
In addition, the lack of synchronization in time between small collection vehicles and large transshipment vehicles also leads to waste congestion. To remove this, Mr. Quang proposed that the city expand the mechanism, allowing capable private units to transport waste directly to Da Phuoc Waste Treatment Complex. Regarding the modernization policy, business representatives expect the new stations to ensure that they are far from residential areas, meet environmental standards and do not cause traffic congestion to bring collection activities to unified standards.
Commencement of 12 stations in 2026
In order to gradually solve bottlenecks, Ho Chi Minh City has included a list of 62 waste compression and transfer stations in the medium-term public investment plan for the period 2026 - 2030. In 2026 alone, the city aims to start construction of 12 projects, including 8 upgrade and expansion stations and 4 repair stations. Among them, three projects in Dao Tri, Xuan Thoi Thuong and Thang Nhi have been approved for investment policy.
Mr. Nguyen Minh Chanh - Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Agriculture and Environment - said that units are proactively implementing many parallel procedures to shorten preparation time. If progress is ensured, the first 4 stations will start construction in November 2026 and the next 4 stations in December 2026. According to leaders of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, new regulations effective from July 1, 2026 have also removed many difficulties for the city in the process of implementing existing transfer station upgrade projects.
The city agreed to assign the Management Board of Waste Treatment Complexes to be the investor of the project chain, and at the same time will supplement a team of high-quality technical personnel to meet the large workload.
After 2026, the city will start construction of 15 more projects in early 2027 and complete all 62 stations in the period 2028 - 2030, aiming to complete green and sustainable urban infrastructure.
Application of underground pressing technology to protect the environment
At recent working sessions, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Bui Minh Thanh emphasized that although the inner-city land fund is "golden land", the city still prioritizes allocating space and technology solutions for waste treatment infrastructure to protect people's health. City leaders affirmed that the environment and people's health must be put first.
Faced with difficulties in finding a large area of 3,000 to 5,000m2 in the central area according to old standards, Ho Chi Minh City focuses on technology solutions. The goal is that transit stations operate completely closed, without emitting odors or leachate flowing around. Garbage when brought to the station will be pressed underground instead of operating on the surface. All exhaust fumes and leachate are collected and treated through a separate system. The Department of Agriculture and Environment is urgently developing a set of technical criteria to select advanced technology suppliers, ensuring that the operation of the station does not affect the lives of nearby residents.
