HCM City (VNA) - A programme to sort waste at source has been launched in Ho Chi Minh City’s export processing zones (EPZ) and industrial parks (IP)by the HCM City EPZ Authority (HEPZA) and the Department of Natural Resourcesand Environment.

The authority has also called on the developers of EPZs and IPs to adoptmeasures such as placing 240l public garbage cans in the locations, help EPZand IP management boards supervise the separation of waste by enterprises andreport on those not complying with waste sorting regulations.

A spokesman for the Linh Trung EPZ in Thu Duc District said twin-compartmentdust bins have been placed and workers and enterprises at the EPZ have beentold to dump their waste in the right one and at scheduled times. The latterhave been told to provide training to raise awareness of waste sorting andenvironmental protection in general, he said.

Similarly, the Tan Thuan EPZ too has begun the programme, separating organicand inorganic wastes before sending them to garbage collectors. Waste and muddischarged by factories in the EPZ are used to produce fertilisers for plantsgrowing in the zone.

With this programme, Tan Thuan has been chosen by HEPZA to build the firstgreen EPZ model in the city, and will be emulated by other EPZs and IPs.

According to head of HEPZA Nguyen Hoang Nang, documents have been issuedto guide the implementation of the programme and discussions have been heldwith garbage collectors.

HEPZA has also spoken with the developers of EPZs and IPs about theimplementation of the garbage segregation programme, and asked them to placetwo dust bins (for organic and inorganic wastes) at public locations.

It has instructed EPZ and IP authorities to supervise and report on garbagecollection operations to competent bodies such as the local Department ofNatural Resources and Environment.

It has also sent documents on the programme to the website of the department toenable enterprises to meet its norms.

It has called on EPZ developers to monitor the competence of garbage collectorsand create favourable conditions for those who meet the criteria set by cityauthorities.

Nguyen Thi Thanh My, Deputy Director of the Department, said waste is litteredeverywhere in EPZs and IPs, especially at their entrance.

The department and HEPZA have taken measures to penalise littering, which alsoposes the risk of spreading diseases.-VNA