Evaluation of waste situation and classification of mt limited company, japan

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY TRIEU THI QUYEN EVALUATION OF WASTE SITUATION AND CLASSIFICATON OF MT LIMITED COMPANY, JAPAN BACHELOR THESIS Study Mode : Full-time Major : Environmental Science and Management Faculty : International Programs Office Batch : 2014 – 2018 Type : On-the-Job Training (OJT) Thai Nguyen, 2021 DOCUMENTATION PAGE WITH ABSTRACT Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry Degree program Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management Student name Trieu Thi Quyen Student ID DTN1454140021 Thesis Title Evaluation of waste situation and classification of MT Limited Company, Japan Supervisor Assoc.prof.Dr Tran Quoc Hung Supervisor’s signature Abstract: Nowadays, as the world grows, problems related to the expanded consumption, resource depletion and the increased output of wide-range types of waste are becoming ever more serious Japanese garbage disposal system is one of the most modern system in the world which is tightly organized from collection, sorting, transportation and disposal The purpose of this study is to find information on waste situation and waste classification at MT Limited Company as well as in Japan Key words: Solid waste, classification, collection, Japan Number of pages: 53 Date of submission: 2021 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Foremost, I would like to express my endless thanks and gratefulness to Advanced Education Program (AEP) as well as lecturers of Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry and other universities, who have taught me not only valuable lessons but also essential skills I would like to say thanks to the cooperation among Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture, Truong Gia- TMC International Joint Stock Company and MT Limited Company for providing me an amazing opportunity to take my internship in Japan It brings me great pleasure to work and submit my thesis for graduation During the internship in Japan, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mrs Chiko Matsuda, Mr Keshiki Yamaguchi, Mr Sou Yamaguchi, Mrs Yamada, Mr Shimiru, who have taught me enthusiastically with extensive knowledge, always supported and took care of me so that I can successfully complete the internship I sincerely thanks to Assoc.Prof Dr.Tran Quoc Hung for his patient guidance, enthusiastic encouragement and useful critiques which helped me to understand and complete the final thesis I also would like to say thank to all my friends who went with me to Japan and all of my Japanese colleagues at MT Limited Company for always been beside and supported me Ultimately, in the process of completing the thesis, due to the lack of time and experience, this report is inevitable shortcomings I am very grateful to receive the attention and feedback from lecturers and friends to this thesis is more complete Thai Nguyen, 2021 Trieu Thi Quyen ii TABLE OF CONTENT DOCUMENTATION PAGE WITH ABSTRACT i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii TABLE OF CONTENT iii LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Objectives 1.3 Contents of work 1.4 Profile of the cooperating agency .5 1.5 Timelines 1.6 Description of my activities Table Diary of training CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Solid waste situation in the world 10 2.2 National literature review 14 2.2.1 Solid waste situation Japan 14 2.2.2 Solid waste situation in Vietnam 16 CHAPTER III: SOLID WASTE SITUATION AND CLASSIFICATION IN MT LIMITED COMPANY, JAPAN 20 3.1 Scope of the study 20 3.2 Location and time of conduct 20 3.2.1 Location 20 iii 3.2.2 Time 20 3.3 Research content 20 3.4 Methodology 21 3.5 Natural - economic - social conditions of the company 21 3.5.1 Natural condition 21 3.5.2 Social and economic conditions 21 3.5.3 General introduction to the company 22 3.6 Current status of solid waste and waste management of MT Limited Company 27 3.6.1 Current status of solid waste of MT Limited Company 27 3.6.2 Current status of solid waste management at MT Limited Company 33 3.7 Proposing some measures to improve the efficiency of waste management in Vietnam 33 3.7.1 Advantages and disadvantages of waste management in Vietnam 33 3.7.2 Proposing some solutions to improve the efficiency of waste management in Vietnam 37 CHAPTER IV: DISCUSSION AND LESSON LEARNDED 39 4.1 Discussion .39 4.2 Knowledge acquirement 41 CHAPTER V CONCLUSION 43 REFERENCES 45 APPENDICES iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure General waste classification in Japan 14 Figure 2: The solid waste flows in Ho Chi Minh City 18 Figure 3: Organization of apparatus of company 24 Figure 4: The source of solid waste at the MT Limited Company 27 Figure 5: Garbage collection area and garbage bags at the processing area 28 Figure 6: The company's carton processing area 28 Figure 7: Garbage collection area at the staff cafeteria 29 Figure 8: The percentage of waste types of the company from 2015-2018 31 Figure 9: The cost for waste treatment of MT Limited company from 2015 to 2018 36 Figure 10: The solid waste collection process in Vietnam and Japan in comparison 41 LIST OF TABLES Table Diary of training Table History of formation and development in company 23 Table The amount of waste of the company from February to December, 2019…………………………………………………………………………… 30 Table The amount of waste of the company from 2015 to 2018 32 Table Waste collection at the factory 33 Table 6: The cost of solid waste paid for environmental company (%) 35 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Abbreviations Meaning MSW Municipal Solid Waste RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act EPA Environmental Protection Agency PET Polyethylene Terephthalate CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale Nowadays, the protection of the living environment is posed as a matter of survival for mankind Particularly the field of waste management and treatment has attracted a great deal of attention as thousands of researches on waste standards, collection and treatment methods were emerged Strict laws on garbage disposal are also introduced to minimize the impact of waste on the environment As an Asian country, Vietnam has witnessed the rapid development of neighboring countries, and also saw great lessons on the environmental issues of developed countries In recent years, the speed of industrialization and modernization in Vietnam has increased dramatically The development of the country's economy creates many environmental issues which put a pressure on the country's sustainable development In the context of the world facing environmental pollution caused by waste and the concentration of many countries for economic goals that underestimates the environment, Japan has emerged as one of the countries putting great effort on solving environmental problems towards sustainable development As an environmental science and management student who had a chance to conduct internship in Japan, I decided to choose the topic: “Evaluation of the solid waste situation and classification in MT Limited Company, Japan” to have a deeper view about how waste is managed and the way Japanese people protect the environment 1.2 Objectives - Study about the overview of MT Limited Company, Japan - Assess the natural, economic and social conditions of MT Limited Company, Japan - Assess the current status of solid waste management and treatment of MT Limited Company, Japan - Propose some solutions to improve the efficiency of waste management in Vietnam 1.3 Contents of work - Collect document and data on natural and socio-economic conditions at MT Limited Company, Japan - Collect data related to topics in books, newspapers, internet, scientific research, etc - Work at MT co Ltd Company as a packing staff 1.4 Profile of the cooperating agency Company Name: MT Limited Company, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan Address: - 6, Takaderaji - cho, Tsushima-shi, Aichi, Japan Business office address: 2-22 Kawanami-cho, Atsuta-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi, Japan Phone: 0567-32-3022 Fax: 0567-32-3031 (Source: Field investigation) As can be seen from the table, the collection and classification of waste at the processing area and the company canteen is simple and convenient All waste at the company's processing area and staff cafeteria is collected at the end of the working day and collected by the environmental company in the early morning of the next day 3.6.2.2 Regulations on domestic waste collection from Vietnamese dormitories Having been year in Japan, I recognize that regulations on classification of household waste are extremely strict Garbage must be cleaned and dried before being thrown away There are main types of garbage which are combustible garbage, non-combustible garbage, bulky garbage, recyclable waste Garbage bags are made in different designs for easy collection Garbage will be placed at a collection point near the house, the environmental company will come to collect different types of waste on different days Specifically, combustible waste will be collected on Tuesdays and Fridays, non-burnable garbage will be collected on Wednesdays, Bulky garbage such as used cars will be collected twice a year with an additional fee and recyclables will be collected on Thursdays by the environmental company If garbage is classified improperly or brought to the collection site on the wrong day, the environmental company will leave that waste with a reminder note 3.6.2.3 Waste treatment costs Due to the specific production method, the company does not directly handle waste Waste will be clearly classified after production, packaging and 34 collected by the environmental company Recyclable waste will be transferred separately to the recycling company On average, the company has to pay about 1,700,000 yen to the environmental company every month to treat the waste (equivalent to 340,000,000 VND) Table 6: The cost of solid waste paid for environmental company (%) Type of waste Cost for disposal Burnable waste 12% Unburnable waste 15% Recycle waste 13% Food waste 60% Total (%) 100% The cost for waste treatment from 2015 to 2018 60% 12% BURNABLE WASTE 15% 13% UNBURNABLE WASTE RECYCLE WASTE FOOD WASTE Figure 9: The cost for waste treatment of MT Limited company from 2015 (%) 35 to 2018 The cost for handling food waste occupies 60% of the total cost which is the highest in the total amount paid for the treatment company as it accounts for the largest proportion of the waste Burnable waste accounts for only 12% of the total cost due to the simplicity of incinerator installation and operation, while the costs for unburnable waste and recyclables are approximately the same at 15% and 13% The company's recyclable waste is mainly cardboard with a small volume (23%) but occupies a large area To solve this problem, the company has its own cardboard compressor for the cartons to makes transportation convenient and reduce the cost of waste treatment of the company For non-combustible waste such as styrofoam, they will be taken back by the same farms where the company imports raw materials for production on the next day It is a way to reduce waste disposal costs for the company 3.7 Proposing some measures to improve the efficiency of waste management in Vietnam 3.7.1 Advantages and disadvantages of waste management in Vietnam - Advantages: + Thanks to the development of society, environmental issues are increasingly concerned on a larger scale as the government and companies invest more in environmental protection + Individual's awareness of environmental protection has improved, leading to a significant increase in the effectiveness of environmental protection 36 - Disadvantages: + Environmental protection has only been focused on in recent years, leading to a shortage of a large number of experienced staff in environmental protection + The quality of life has improved in the past few years, the habit of a civilized lifestyle is not widely known, leading to a part of people still keeping the old living habits, making it difficult to collect garbage and properly treat it to reduce environmental pollution + Infrastructure, funding and human resources have not yet met the increasing requirements in MSW management 3.7.2 Proposing some solutions to improve the efficiency of waste management in Vietnam Japan is one of the best waste management and treatment countries in the world, especially in waste collection and treatment solutions, in which raising people's awareness of environmental protection is the first basic element to help Japan achieve efficiency waste management and treatment All waste must be collected and sorted at source There are strict sanctions for those who violate the law on environmental protection, so I have come up with some solutions to improve the efficiency of waste management in Vietnam 3.7.2.1 Law, policy and regulation solutions - Promulgating regulations on waste management to corporate agencies, companies and individuals 37 - Regularly organizing inspection and examination of the management and treatment of waste by each organization, locality, agency and enterprise - Improving mechanisms and policies to attract non-state enterprises to participate in waste management - Researching, building and implementing models of management of waste collection, transportation and treatment, testing investment models to build waste treatment facilities in some localities 3.7.2.2 Technological solutions - Strengthening waste separation at source, from business organizations to residential households - Strengthening human resources, means of collecting and transporting waste - Research on some highly feasible waste treatment technologies 3.7.2.3 Socio-economic solutions - Strengthening administrative handling of environmental violations - Completing the collection of environmental sanitation fees and reasonably increasing the environmental sanitation fees - Strengthening the training and retraining of waste management knowledge for government officials at grassroots levels and businesses - Training and fostering knowledge for environmental sanitation workers, improving both quantity and quality 38 CHAPTER IV: DISCUSSION AND LESSON LEARNDED 4.1 Discussion Sorting waste properly and immediately after it is generated is the foremost step that needs to be completed for the most effective waste treatment Many countries have succeeded in having a complete process from collection classification to treatment and having perfecting and sanctioning regulations which made these countries became the cleanest countries in the world In Germany, besides sorting waste properly, they also seek to increase the responsibility of manufacturers to reduce waste Accordingly, manufacturers and retailers must pay to have Green Dot printed on product packaging The larger the amount of packaging, the more costs the business has to pay In order to save costs, businesses are forced to use less paper, thinner glass and limit metals Therefore, the amount of waste released into the environment will be greatly reduced Sweden is one of the leading countries in the world in waste treatment and environmental protection today In Sweden, it is quite common for each household to have 6-7 types of trash cans in the house to separate waste from the source In addition to environmental protection with the coordination of people's consciousness, modern and effective waste treatment technology is also a remarkable point of this Nordic country In Singapore, people who litter indiscriminately for the first time will be fined S$1,000, repeat offenders will increase the fine to 2,000 USD- 5,000 USD and have to community service Before enacting this law, the Singapore Government must ensure a complete system of technical services, as simple as 39 trash cans or trash can with compartments (according to the government's classification requirements) must be in the most conspicuous place, at a distance not exceeding 500m In Japan, garbage collection and classification is extremely strict There are many separate bins for different types of trash and are located all over the place If they cannot find a trash bin to throw their garbage, they will take it home If the garbage is not sorted properly, the environmental company responsible for the collection will leave it with a yellow note The people's high sense of selfdiscipline along with strict regulations have made the collection and classification effective for later waste treatment Unlike Japan and other advanced countries, most of the waste in Vietnam is not sorted before collection and will be sorted by environmental companies before they are treated Improper sorting of garbage makes the following treatment steps cumbersome, time consuming and expensive Besides, Vietnam has almost no strict regulations for those who violate regulations on garbage classification which leads to difficulty in completing the process of waste sorting and treatment Separation of waste at source contributes to reducing the total amount of waste discharged into the environment by the community in order to reduce the load on the environment and save costs of collection, transportation and treatment Sorting waste at source contributes to saving resources; bring benefits to the waste source owners from using recycled scraps and homemade compost Due to socio-economic conditions, Vietnam is still weak in garbage collection and treatment Along with economic development, Vietnam needs to 40 learn from developed countries both in terms of reasonable waste sorting habits and waste treatment technology to become a sustainable development country Solid waste Solid waste Waste collection Sorting at source Waste sorting Waste collection Waste treatment Waste treatment Waste treatment process in Vietnam Waste treatment process in Japan Figure 10: The solid waste collection process in Vietnam and Japan in comparison 4.2 Knowledge acquirement Having a chance to conduct an internship in Japan has changed me in a positive way in which helps me to overcome myself and be more confident Living in Japan means you have to be familiar with a strict environment lifestyle with many rules and regulations Environmental protection is one of the most important things for the Japanese people They really care about the environment from the simplest and smallest things they can and rarely use products from companies that bad things for the environment like discharging untreated sewage into rivers and streams, etc During year in Japan, I learned how to classify waste 41 properly and throw it away on time When the garbage is not sorted properly or thrown at the wrong days, instead of taking it away, they will leave it with a yellow note on that garbage bag It's a simple but effective way to protect the environment I also have deeply experienced Japanese culture and lifestyle At the same time, by sharing tips and knowledge, managers and staff have helped me with valuable lessons to avoid mistakes in the actual work in the future Planning work so that saves time and efficiency, improve the ability to work independently as well as teamwork; Always follow workplace regulations; always keep good relationships with people inside and outside the workplace; Being polite and helpful for people; Improving my ability to communicate and give opinions in front of the crowd; Being hard-working, staying healthy and clean are also necessary I believe that my internship in Japan will give me a good premise for my future career 42 CHAPTER V CONCLUSION It is believed that waste is a direct result of human interactions and activities It is clear that waste is really subjective, because the term is open to some interpretations and is also discussed by personal opinions However, it is important to provide a definition or at least a guide for policies and regulation purposes There is an evidence from the fact that it is the knowledge of what constitutes waste and the type of waste that determines how to treat it The existence of garbage brings many disadvantages to mankind if not properly understood and handled Knowledge of the consequences of waste, its treatment and human responsibilities affects the effectiveness of waste disposal The attitude of individuals and communities towards the environment also contribute to promoting the effectiveness of environmental protection as well as formulating strict environmental policies Waste management is a complete process from waste sorting, collection, transportation and disposal in order to minimize the harmful effects of waste Researches show a direct connection between the consequences of waste such as water pollution, air pollution, etc to diseases such as lung cancer, cholera, hepatitis, etc In addition, climate change is a consequence of prolonged pollution causing unfortunate consequences for human health and economic development Waste classification is the first and important step in the waste disposal process The proper waste classification brings many practical benefits It not only brings about processing efficiency but also saves money by taking advantage of recycling 43 Internships are an essential process for every student to have the opportunity to practice and gain practical knowledge before graduation During the internship, I had the opportunity to accumulate specialized knowledge, learn more about Japanese lifestyle and working methods These are extremely helpful for me and for my future career In conclusion, I believe that the practical experience in Japan gives me a lot of useful knowledge to help me in my daily life and future work 44 REFERENCES Petra Schneider, Le Hung Anh, Jörg Wagner, Jan Reichenbach, Anja Hebner (2017) Solid Waste Management in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Moving towards a Circular Economy? Thai, N T K (2009) Hazardous industrial waste management in Vietnam: current status and future direction Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management Nguyen Duc Tung, Truong Minh Den November 15, 2018 Zezo - Waste Lifestyle Center for Development of Community Initiative and Environment (C&E) ICISE, Quy Nhon (Vietnam) August 18-20, 2019 Reduction of plastic waste to the ocean in Vietnam: Educating the educators approach Phuong Hoa (2019) How does Japan handle waste security? Qian, W., & Burritt, R (2007) Environmental accounting for waste management: A study of local governments in Australia Zaman, A U (2014) Measuring waste management performance using the “Zero Waste Index”: the case of Adelaide, Australia Ryu, C (2010) Potential of Municipal Solid Waste for Renewable Energy Production and Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in South Korea Mian, M M., Zeng, X., Nasry, A al N B., & Al-Hamadani, S M Z F (2016) Municipal solid waste management in China: a comparative analysis 10 Qingbin Song, Jinhui Li, Xianlai Zeng 1st October 2015 Minimizing the increasing solid waste through zero waste strategy 45 APPENDICES Panoramic image of the factories and office of MT Limited Company Temporary waste storage of the company Product conveyor belt before loading it on the vehicle and transporting it to the consumption places Fruits and vegetables processing and packing area Temporary storage for raw materials Temporary storage for finished products before transporting to consumption places