A Gap Analysis in Selected Asian Countries, 3R Knowledge Hub ...

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3R Gap Analysis and Findings
Composition of Generated Waste in Vientiane
per day. Vientiane and the four secondary towns
account for 0.8–1.4 kg/cap/day. Solid waste in
Laos comprises mainly of organic material,
plastic, paper, and glass, cans and other metals.
Hazardous and toxic wastes such as batteries,
old paint cans, aerosols and other refuse are also
mixed with these wastes. The comparatively low
content of organic material in municipal solid
waste is mainly due to the fact that a large
proportion of food waste is recycled as animal
feed even in urban areas.
TOWN
Vientiane City
Luangprabang
Thakhek
Savannakhet
Pakse
Per capita waste
production
0.8 kg
1.0 kg
0.8 kg
1.0 kg
1.4 kg
According to a recent survey in 57 urban areas,
only Vientiane City and the four secondary
towns of Luang Prabang, Thakhek,
Savannakhet and Pakse use controlled open
dumps for solid waste disposal. However, the
disposal areas are small, and have no leachate
collection and monitoring wells. In many other
places, uncontrolled open dumping and
burning are commonly practiced. Hazardous
and infectious wastes are often disposed
together with municipal waste.
Despite the existence of controlled dumpsites in
Vientiane and the four secondary towns,
collection services are limited only to accessible
areas and profitable target groups such as
Findings
markets and high-income
households. The average
collection rate of about 45% is
recorded in the urban households
of the five larger urban areas.
Collection rates reach more than
50 percent only in Luang
Prabang. In smaller towns, solid
waste collection is often limited
to commercial establishments in
the town centre and the market
place.
About 70% of municipal solid
waste consists of plastic, paper,
glass, cans and metals, which have the potential
to be recycled commercially, and reused in
various manufacturing and industrial activities.
However, the current scale of recycling in Lao
PDR is still very modest.
Hazardous and toxic wastes such as batteries,
old paint cans, aerosols and other refuse are
mixed with solid waste and as such no
separation of waste is practiced. Of the total
waste discarded in Laos, 50 % is recyclable.
Solid waste collection is only in Vientiane and
other major towns in the five big provinces. In
Vientiane, a combination of state and private
firms take up the task of waste collection.
About 60% of the total waste generated is
collected. The Vientiane Municipality sets the
collection frequency as well as the solid waste
charges per household.
Key issues of solid waste management in the
capital city include lack of awareness on the
proper disposal of solid waste, excess of waste
collection to the dumping sites, which result
to bad odor, poor separation of waste into
different containers and the generally dirty
urban city and environment.
A combination of state and private companies,
assigned different sections of the four urban
districts, take up the task of waste collection.
The Municipality Government dictates
collection frequency and payments by
households. Vehicles in use are a mix of new
Japanese trucks, reconditioned French waste
collection vehicles and locally purchased
vehicles.