Recyclable waste collection by informal sector in Vietnam: Dataset from Vinh, Nha Trang, Buon Ma Thuot, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi Cities

Abstract

Even though the matter was not widely acknowledged, informal recycling plays a vital role in waste treatment in many developing countries. In Vietnam, the management of waste collection and treatment faces many difficulties, as there is no statistical data or description of the informal sector in waste collection and recycling to clarify their role, their scale, and their capacity. This paper presents the preliminary data processed by informal waste collectors and aggregators in six Vietnamese cities, namely, Vinh, Nha Trang, Buon Ma Thuot, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh, and Hanoi. The surveys were conducted from January 2017 to December 2019 by the JEAI Recycurbs Viet project [1] and then from August 2019 to December 2020 in the framework of the COMPOSE project (2019-2021) [2]. Geographical and sociology data of aggregators will demonstrate the overall background of the presence, spatial allocation, and the establishment process of aggregators in the surveyed cities to find the patterns of establishment and operations of these aggregators. The data will be the basis for the development of policy making on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Vietnam.

Keywords: Aggregator; Informal sector; Landscape approach; Mapping; Recycling; Vietnam; Waste collection.

Fig. 1

Location and category of 6 cities surveyed.

Fig. 2a

Spatial distribution of aggregators in three cities Category 1. Aggregators are presented both in rural and urban areas and regarding to their period of establishments before 1990; from 1990 to 2005; from 2006 to 2015; from 2016 to present.

Fig. 2b

Spatial distribution of aggregators in three central cities. Aggregators are presented both in rural and urban areas and regarding their period of establishments before 1990; from 1990 to 2005; from 2006 to 2015; from 2016 to present.

Fig. 3a

Geographical locations of aggregators according to the owner's age category per their establishment (under 30 years old, from 31 to 50 years old, and over 50 years old) in the three cities Category 1.

Fig. 3b

Geographical locations of aggregators according to the owner's age category at their establishment (under 30 years old, from 31 to 50 years old, and over 50 years old) in the three central cities.

Fig. 4

Correlation between the number of aggregators identified in each city with the a) city's area, b) the inhabitants, and c) the amount of domestic waste generated per day.

Fig. 5

Standardized observational format for aggregators of recyclable waste.

Fig. 6

Surveyed information of aggregators.

Fig. 7

Interview of the owner of the aggregator.

Fig. 8

Illustration of QGIS software interface.