Authorities in the communes of Duy Nghia, Duy Xuyen, Nam Phuoc and Thu Bon submitted petitions to the Danang People’s Committee on March 16, warning that thousands of tonnes of uncollected household waste are causing severe environmental pollution and public frustration.
The temporary waste dump in My Phuoc Hamlet, Nam Phuoc Commune, is overflowing (Photo: Cong Binh).
Waste crisis after plant shutdown
The situation began in September 2025 when the Bac Quang Nam Solid Waste Treatment Plant was forced to halt operations during an investigation into the illegal burial of tens of thousands of tonnes of waste.
Since then, garbage from the affected communes has been transported to temporary collection sites while authorities search for alternative treatment solutions.
To ease the problem, from October 11, 2025 the Danang authorities allowed the Duy Xuyen Xanh Environmental Services Cooperative to collect and transport waste to the Tam Nghia waste treatment area in Nui Thanh.
However, the facility can only receive about 42 tonnes of waste per day due to restrictions on operating hours and the number of trips allowed. Meanwhile, the four communes generate between 55 and 60 tonnes of waste daily, causing the backlog to grow steadily.
As the collection unit only picks up waste once or twice a week, rubbish has piled up along National Highway 14H, passing through Nam Phuoc, Duy Xuyen, and Thu Bon communes (Photo: Cong Binh).
Nearly 2,200 tonnes of waste accumulated
The situation worsened following record floods in late October and early November 2025, which significantly increased the volume of waste.
Garbage output also surged after the Lunar New Year in 2026 holiday, while the Tam Nghia facility maintained the same intake capacity.
By the first week of March, nearly 2,200 tonnes of waste had accumulated at temporary dumping sites across the four communes. The hardest-hit area is Nam Phuoc, where more than 700 tonnes of waste remain unprocessed.
Local officials say the growing waste piles are causing serious environmental concerns and increasing pressure from residents.
Authorities from the four communes have now urged the Department of Agriculture and Environment and the Danang People’s Committee to take urgent measures to remove the existing waste and ensure stable treatment capacity in the future to protect the environment and residents’ livelihoods.