The “Grac” app is being used by waste collectors in HCM City’s Go Vap district, allowing users to call scrap dealers to collect waste, give away junk to the needy, and make online payments for waste collection services. (VNA screenshot) Bui Hong Son, director of the department’s Information Technology Centre, saidapplying information technology was an inevitable trend and increasinglypopular for environmental protection.
The city generates about 9,500 tonnes of domestic waste each day, equivalent toabout 3 million tonnes per year.
Waste management is now quite complicated, involving a set of actions incollection, storage, transporting, treatment, and a final disposal that isenvironmentally adequate.
Collecting, transporting and treating this huge amount of waste poseschallenges to the city authorities, who are seeking to implement advancedtechnologies to improve performance.
"With the help of technology in waste management, it is possible toquickly detect the processes that generate waste, enable actions to reduce thequantity of waste and the costs associated with shipping and finaldisposal," he said.
From June, the centre is coordinating with Sai Gon Computer Technology Co. Ltd(CINOTEC) on a pilot programme using the company’s software application called“uberRac” to manage waste.
Nguyen Thanh Trung, director of CINOTEC, said users can download and installthis app on their iOS or Android devices to interact with the app’s wasteservices such as registering for waste collection, paying fees, monitoringgarbage truck routes, registering for bulky waste collection and givingfeedback on waste services.
The app is being used by private waste collectors in District 7’s Binh Thuan, TanQuy, Tan Thuan Dong and Tan Thuan Tay wards and is improving sanitation forthose residential areas.
Phan Thanh Tung, a senior solution consultant from the Vietnam Informatic andMapping Corporation, said the firm was developing a digital map for solid wastecollection in the city.
"Its features include monitoring the routes, velocity and status ofgarbage trucks, waste collection points, and waste treatment stations," hesaid.
Last year, 14 waste collection units in the city’s Go Vap district began to usethe “Grac” app developed by Grac Technology JSC.
The move aims to digitise waste management and online payments for wastecollection services in the district.
With an online waste market, the app allows scrap dealers and owners of wasteto connect. Sellers of waste can take pictures of products they want to sell,such as paper and plastics, and post the images on the app.
Scrap dealers receive information from sellers and then move to the areas wheresellers are. The two sides negotiate the prices and make transactions.
Owners can post information about old items they have and want to donate.
Bui Hong Son said this software was expected to revolutionise environmentmanagement in the city.
When these software pieces are linked, they will share databases on wasteowners, waste transporters, waste treatment organisations, and waste amounts,which will help authorities more efficiently coordinate the process.
This will minimise waste being transported to the wrong location or poorlyhandled.
Son said the department would also apply the operation model of Open GeospatialConsortium (OGC) as a foundation for natural resources and environment databasesharing.
“Via the shared databases, State agencies, private businesses and individualscan easily develop practical software for waste management,” he said.
According to Dean of the Environment Faculty at Van Lang University, Le Thi KimOanh, the use of technologies in solid waste treatment brings a lot ofbenefits.
In Singapore, for example, a chip installed into public trash bins can notifywaste collectors when to take waste away.
“Through apps, garbage trucks can identify the shortest route to minimise cost.Better products can be created from waste by using advanced compostingtechnology,” she said.
Applying technologies could also help landfills and incinerators preciselyreport the concentration of gases released into the air, she added.
The municipal People’s Committee has released the digital transformation planfor natural resources and the environment until 2025 with a direction to 2030.
By 2030, many public services are expected to go online, including alldocuments for administrative procedures at the city level, except for statesecrets.
Among the targets, all observations and measurement equipment in theenvironment field will produce digital data, and 100% of employees inthe environment field will be fully equipped with necessary digital skills./.
VNA
