Capacity assessment to secure COVID-19 waste treatment in Vietnam

The accelerated generation of COVID-19 waste under the Delta-fuelled outbreak placed a sudden burden on waste disposal in Vietnam. To secure the treatment of COVID-19 waste amid the pandemic uncertainty, treatment capacity was assessed by determining treatment occupancy rate-the ratio of estimated demand to calculated capacity-both nationally and in Ho Chi Minh City. At the general occupancy rate for COVID-19 waste treatment of 7.4%, the country was capable of handling COVID-19 waste, with a capacity to treat 62 191 t month^-1. However, Ho Chi Minh City became overwhelmed, indicated by a treatment occupancy rate of up to 780% during the Delta outbreak, as the unanticipated growth of demand for COVID-19 waste treatment caused waste to back up. The assessment results, in addition to current legislation, support collaboration in waste treatment as a solution to using existing resources to address the acute shortage of treatment capacity, so as to secure COVID-19 waste treatment. The findings could be used by other developing countries to tackle the waste problem in the pandemic era.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10163-022-01529-z.