Vietnam turning into dump site for e-waste

Consumers and leaders are realising a growing electronics waste problem, Photo: Le Toan

Last month, the Ministry of Public Security’s Department for Combating Environmental Crime discovered that local firm Mai Huong Company in the northern port city of Haiphong illegally imported 340 tonnes of electronics spare parts and equipment, which were placed at the company’s site.

Previously, police intercepted the illegal importation by another local firm TSC Company of over 20,000 used laptops, 16,500 computer screens, nearly 3,300 used electronics chip panels and 500 used computer chargers through a border gate in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang. These environmental crimes are among hundreds of similar cases exposed since last year by local agencies.

 Vietnam’s Institute for Environmental Science and Technology (INEST) recently announced an e-waste survey of over 1,000 people, 68 enterprises, 67 e-waste collectors and 36 electronics appliance stores in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Results showed that over the past five years, cell phones were discarded most (about 2,400), while several thousand laptops, computers, refrigerators and air-conditioners were also discarded. The items were either thrown away or recycled by small-scale dealers.

“In Vietnam, the level of public awareness regarding waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) is currently very limited, particularly in terms of hazardous waste,” said INEST director Huynh Trung Hai.

According to the survey, in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, more than 80 per cent of interviewees thought that the collection fee was illogical because WEEE treatment generated revenue for the collectors and recyclers.

All of the respondents in Hanoi said they would refuse to pay a disposal fee for the discarded appliances. Meanwhile, 81 per cent of the respondents in Ho Chi Minh City would agree to a disposal fee, depending on the type of the product.

According to INEST, the volume of e-waste in Vietnam is increasing rapidly due to the sharp increase in product demand. In 2012, information and communications technology (ICT) hardware sales jumped 103 per cent to $23 billion, amounting to 94 per cent of the country’s total IT revenue. Although the growth rates of discarded e-waste are forecast to slow down (7 per cent for TVs, 9.7 per cent for refrigerators, 11.7 per cent for washing machines, 21 per cent for air-conditioners and 13.7 per cent for computers from 2011 to 2020), “the high growth of ICT sales and discarded products has made Vietnam a potential WEEE recycling market,” said Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Bui Cach Tuyen.

It is estimated that by 2020 there will be about 161,000 TVs, 97,000 computers, 178,000 refrigerators, 136,000 washing machines, and 97,000 air-conditioners discarded in Hanoi. Meanwhile, e-waste in Ho Chi Minh City will include 700,000 TVs, 290,000 computers, 424,000 refrigerators, 339,000 washing machines, and 330,000 air-conditioners.

Vietnam has about 400 electronics product makers, with 25 per cent being foreign-invested and holding 90 per cent of the total investment capital.

Under the prime ministerial Decision 50/2013/QD-TTg dated August 9, 2013 on the collection and treatment of discarded products, from January 1, 2015, manufacturers of electronic products will be responsible for receiving and treating/recycling electronic waste such as computers, printers, fax machines, scanners, cameras, camcorders, mobile phones, copiers, TVs, refrigerators, air-conditioners and washing machines.

Annually, producers must report the quantity of units manufactured or imported which have been sold in Vietnam, and results of retrieval and disposal of discarded products in accordance with guidelines of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. At present, producers are not obliged to provide this kind of information.