In 2024, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) recorded a waste recycling rate of 67.54%, a remarkable increase from just over 3.5% in 2023. This outstanding achievement reflects UEH’s comprehensive efforts on its journey to build a UEH Green Campus – a zero-waste university, demonstrating effective waste segregation at the source, material recycling, and landfill reduction across the entire system.

Through collaboration with licensed recycling companies such as Asia Environment Company and Ve Chai Chu Hoa, along with green education, communication activities, and promoting sustainable consumption behaviors among students, UEH has established a circular, transparent, and sustainable waste management model. This accomplishment not only confirms UEH’s pioneering role in green education in Vietnam but also makes a tangible contribution to SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production of the United Nations.

The University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) has issued Regulations on the Management, Segregation, and Treatment of Waste within UEH Campuses (Article 9, Chapter III – Regulations for Stakeholders), assigning the Facilities Department (now the Department of Facilities Management) and Vinh Long Campus the responsibility for collecting, segregating, and handing over waste to licensed treatment units. This policy provides a foundation for UEH to monitor, measure, and annually increase the waste recycling rate, ensuring that the processes of tracking, measuring generated waste, recycling, and landfilling are transparent and continuous, moving toward the goal of a “Zero Waste Campus” under the UEH Green Campus Project.

Building on this policy framework, UEH goes beyond merely tracking and managing waste generation; the university emphasizes recycling and reusing waste as an integral part of its sustainable development strategy. Specifically, UEH has:

+ Implemented source-based waste segregation across all campuses.

+ Partnered with Asia Environment Company (a licensed hazardous waste treatment unit) and Ve Chai Chu Hoa (a partner for recyclable scrap collection).

+ Applied the 3R model – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, while organizing the campaign “Guided Waste Segregation with Student Unions and Clubs”, encouraging the use of personal items instead of single-use plastics.

Thanks to these measures, the volume of waste recycled at UEH has shown positive annual growth. The table below presents the amount of waste recycled during 2023–2024:

Table of total waste generated and recycled in 2024

Indicators 2023 2024
Amount of waste generated (tons/year) 255 210
Amount of waste recycled (tons/year) 9 51
Amount of waste sent to landfill (tons/year) 247 159

 

*The university-wide waste monitoring system is managed jointly by the Department of Facilities Management and the UEH Green Campus Project. Data are collected annually, compiled, and reported at the end of each academic year, serving as a basis for adjusting waste reduction plans and improving recycling rates.

Based on the statistical data, it can be observed that the total waste generated at UEH in 2024 increased compared to 2023, primarily due to campus expansion and higher enrollment targets. In 2024, UEH admitted 7,900 students, an increase of 100 compared to the previous year, mostly from two new training programs. On average, each student generated approximately 36.5 kg of waste per year.

Although the total waste increased, the waste recycling rate made significant progress. While in 2023, only over 9 tons of waste were recycled annually, by 2024 this figure had risen to more than 195 tons, accounting for 67.54% of the total waste generated. This clearly demonstrates UEH’s efforts to enhance the efficiency of waste management, segregation, and recycling, moving toward a greener and more sustainable campus environment.

This positive change resulted from a series of awareness-raising measures and widespread source-based waste segregation practices, especially encouraging students, lecturers, and staff to use personal items instead of single-use plastics. Green communication campaigns, the program “Guided Waste Segregation with Student Unions and Clubs”, along with various academic and inspirational events promoting sustainable lifestyles, have effectively increased community awareness and fostered a noticeable behavioral shift within the university.

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Guided Waste Segregation with Student Unions and Clubs

Additionally, 2024 marked a significant milestone when UEH officially collaborated with Asia Environment Company, a licensed hazardous waste treatment enterprise with transparent collection and treatment procedures meeting environmental safety standards. As a result, all hazardous waste, such as batteries and broken electronic devices, is collected and handed over to the specialized unit for proper treatment, eliminating hazardous landfill waste. Meanwhile, common recyclable waste continues to be collected by Ve Chai Chu Hoa and other scrap recovery partners, optimizing the reuse of resources.

Thanks to this system, the volume of waste requiring landfill at UEH in 2024 decreased significantly compared to 2023, reflecting the practical effectiveness of a comprehensive segregation and recycling model, directly contributing to SDG 12.3 and the UEH Green Campus 2025 Strategy.

Summary Table of Waste Treatment Options After Segregation

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Collection – Transportation – Treatment Model for Used Batteries by Asia Environment Company

Overall, the positive figures in 2024 demonstrate the effectiveness of UEH’s waste management and recycling strategy – not only controlling the amount of waste generated but also transforming it into recyclable resources, contributing to the development of a green, circular, and sustainable university model.

Summary Table of Waste Treatment Options After Segregation

No. Waste Type Description Sorting Method Partner Treatment Method Recycled Product Notes
Model 7
1 Liquid Organic liquids without residue, such as coffee, soft drinks, fruit juice, soy sauce, etc. Filter out residues or pulp before disposing into the bin. Unknown Unknown None Aluminum cans (no liquid inside)
2 Food Waste Unprocessed or processed food, organic liquids with residue, garden waste. Drain all liquid from food waste before disposal. Asia Environment Used as feed in farms None
3 Metal Food cans, beverage cans, screws, and other metal scraps. Drain remaining liquid and flatten cans/boxes before disposal; wrap screws/nails in paper bag before disposal. Ve Chai Chu Hoa Send to recycling partners (Nguyet Minh 2 Environmental Services Co., Ltd.) Unknown Aluminum cans (no liquid inside)
4 Recyclable Plastic Bottles, jars, plastic boxes, straws, plastic spoons, other plastic scraps. Drain remaining liquid and flatten empty bottles/cups before disposal. Ve Chai Chu Hoa Send to recycling partners (Duy Tan Recycled Plastic JSC and Min La PLASTIC People Co., Ltd.) Recycled socks from plastic bottles (from Resocks brand), cup coasters or large shopping bags Plastic (no liquid inside)
5 Paper Notebooks, printing paper, newspapers, books, cardboard, paper bags, paper cups, and other paper scraps. Keep dry and fold neatly before disposal. Ve Chai Chu Hoa Send to recycling partner (Trong Dat Paper Production & Trading Co., Ltd.) Unknown Paper (dry)
6 Milk Cartons Paper milk cartons (without straws). Empty leftover milk and flatten carton before disposal. Ve Chai Chu Hoa Send to recycling partner None Cleaned
7 Residual Waste Waste not classified in the above categories (except electronic waste or batteries, which are sent to the Technical Department at each campus). Keep dry; drain all liquids before disposal. Asia Environment Co-processing in cement kiln None
7.1 Toilet Paper Waste Toilet paper from restrooms (paper towels) Keep separate; do not mix with other paper types Asia Environment Landfill
8 Hazardous Waste Used batteries, electronic devices Batteries sent to the Technical Department at each campus Asia Environment Transfer to partners with leading treatment technology in the industry
9 Bulky Waste Glass: intact glass bottles (empty), broken glass, window glass Wrap carefully and store separately Asia Environment Recycling New glass

 

Open related links: 

1. https://tuyensinh.ueh.edu.vn/bai-viet/dai-hoc-kinh-te-tp-ho-chi-minh-khoi-dong-mua-tuyen-sinh-2024-on-dinh-chi-tieu-phuong-thuc-mo-02-nganh-hoc-moi-da-dang-linh-vuc-ho-tro-dinh-huong-tang-nhieu-co-hoi-lua-chon-nghe-nghiep-phu-hop/ 

2. https://future.ueh.edu.vn/the-impact-ranking/sdgs-item/12-3-2-ty-le-chat-thai-duoc-tai-che/