Municipal solid waste management toward circular economy in Vang Vieng District, Vientiane Province, Lao PDR

The International Conference on Sustainability in Environment and Agriculture (ICSEA 2022)
Municipal Solid Waste Management
toward Circular Economy in Vang Vieng
District, Vientiane Province, Lao PDR
Daophet Phimdaphon1
, Nguyen Thi An Hang1*
,
Nguyen Thi Ha2
1
Vietnam Japan University, Vietnam National
University, Hanoi
2
University of Science, Vietnam National University,
Hanoi
*Email: nta.hang@vju.ac.vn
Abstract: This study investigates the municipal solid
waste (MSW) management in Vang Vieng district,
Vientiane province, Lao PDR toward circular
economy. The research focus was placed on (i) current
status, (ii) opportunities and challenges, and (iii)
solutions to realize circular economy (CE) in MSW
management. Different methods were employed,
including literature review, semi-interviews, sampling,
SWOT, and TOWS matrix. It was found that 43.33
tons/day of MSW is generated in Vang Vieng. Of
which, the MSW amounts derived from the urban,
rural, and public areas account for 50.11 %, 35.52 %,
and 14.37 %, respectively. The MSW collection and
recycling rates are 34.62 % and 11.54 %,
correspondingly. Open dumping at a landfill is the
main pathway for MSW disposal in Vang Vieng. The
limitations to be addressed include (1) lack of proper
awareness of solid waste management, (2)
insufficiency in collection service, recycling facilities,
and disposal technologies, and (3) unpopularity of the
CE in the district. Contrarily, there are opportunities
for applying CE in MSW management, namely (1)
Vang Vieng has a specific governmental organization
in charge of MSW management to keep the city clean
and tidy, (2) the private sector plays an increasingly
active role in MSW management, and (3) local people
start to use cloth bags and glassware to minimize the
MSW quantity. Finally, key solutions are proposed
including (i) enhancement of the MSW separation,
recycling, and transportation, (ii) promotion of the
community-based MSW management, and (iii)
promulgation and enforcement of the MSW recycling
incentive policies.
Keywords: Municipal solid waste, circular economy,
material flow analysis, internal factors, external
factors.
I. INTRODUCTION
Research context: Research context: Globally, due
to the rapid population growth, industrialization, and
urbanization in urban areas, natural resources (e.g.,
land, water, energy, etc.) are increasingly exploited and
utilized to meet the growing production and
consumption demands. Consequently, a large amount
of municipal solid waste (MSW) is generated annually.
Therefore, the appropriate MSW management is
becoming essential to prevent environmental
degradation and enhance waste valorization [1].
According to [2] human beings will use natural
resources 1.5 times more than the quantity that the
world can provide in 2030. It means that even if we
had two earths, they would not provide sufficient
natural resources for human beings. In the past, the
focus was placed on industrial development and
economic growth, which rely on one-way
consumption, rather than the management and reuse of
solid waste and sewage [3]. It is predicted that the
global municipal solid waste generation rate will
increase from 1.2 kg/day/capita in 2012 to 1.42
kg/day/capita in 2025. The annual MSW volume is
expected to double, being 2.2 billion tons in 2025 [4].
The linear economy, which is based on the principles
of take, make, use and dispose of, is causing negative
impacts on the global environment.
Problem statement: In recent years, the volume of
MSW in Lao PDR tends to increase due to the higher
MSW generation rate. The main components of the
MSW in Lao PDR are organic solid waste (30 %),
plastic waste (30 %), paper waste (15 %), and solid
waste that can be sold (25 %) [5]. While landfilling is
the main method for the disposal of MSW in urban
areas, open dumping is a prevailing method in the
remaining areas. It is worth noting that most of
landfills in Lao PDR currently do not have landfill
leachate monitoring and management systems [6] The
poor management of MSW in Lao PDR poses high
risks to the environment.
Environmental concerns in the study area: Vang
Vieng is one of 11 districts of Vientiane Province,
which is approximately 150 km to the north of Lao
PDR’s Vientiane Capital. Vang Vieng has a total area
of 212.5 km2
with a population of 59,661 people [7].
Tourism is the most developed industry in Vang Vieng.
It is estimated that the number of tourists in Vang
Vieng in 2019 was around 590,000 people, which was
10 times its population, who relied on the tourism
industry. Of which, the number of foreigners was

410,000 people. The average MSW generation rate in
Vang Vieng fluctuates in the range of 1.18-1.42
kg/person/day, which is significantly higher than
Vientiane capital (0.69 kg/person/day) [5]. The amount
of MSW in Vang Vieng is estimated to be around 55
tons/day. Of which, at present, a limited quantity of 28
tons/day, accounting for 50.91 %, is finally disposed at
a landfill [8]. At the present, the MSW management
service in Vang Vieng is still very poor and thus
cannot meet the public demand. The waste separation
into different classified containers is not widely
implemented. The waste collection vehicles are
insufficient to reach all communities. There are no
MSW composting or recycling programs. The local
people lack awareness of the MSW's proper disposal.
This situation results in environmental issues at the
landfill, such as bad scents, flies, etc. In addition, many
local people work as solid waste pickers in poor
sanitation conditions. These issues pose a major hazard
to public health and badly affect the aesthetic value of
the city. Therefore, the management of MSW in Vang
Vieng, which is mainly derived from the tourism
industry, is becoming a great concern.
Circular economy in the world and Lao PDR:
The concept of circular economy (CE) is becoming
popular in the world. It is defined as a comprehensive
waste management system, which is based on the
principle of reduce, reuse, and recycle (3Rs) to
generate value-added and environmentally friendly
products from waste by using technology and design
[9]. CE is frequently touted as a solution to the
worldwide waste dilemma [10]. It focuses on the
management of waste resulting from production and
consumption by bringing raw materials into
production, reusing, recycling, and maintaining a
balance between economic growth, the use of
resources, and environmental protection [11]. In
developed countries, CE is accepted and driven by both
governments and businesses. In such enterprises, CE is
adopted by turning their business cycles into self-
sufficient models as much as possible. CE is expected
to replace the traditional linear economy, which is
based on taking, making, using, and disposing of, and
thus developing the economy toward sustainability.
In Lao PDR, the concept of CE is not widely
popular, especially in local governments. Until now,
CE has not received sufficient attention and support for
its development. Specifically, policies and regulations
on CE have not been formulated, local administration
organizations lack knowledge of CE. This situation
affects the applying CE into MSW management in
Vang Vieng.
Research objectives: This study aims at (i)
evaluating the current status of MSW management in
Vang Vieng, (ii) identifying opportunities and barriers
for the MSW management toward CE in Vang Vieng,
and (iii) proposing solutions for the local
administrative organizations to successfully apply CE
in MSW management.
Research significance: This study is expected to
provide insights of the MSW management in Vang
Vieng, solutions to apply CE into MSW management
in Vang Vieng, and thus contributing to the sustainable
development of the Vang Vieng district.
II. MATERIALS AND METHODS
2.1. Data collection methods
Primary data: In this study, the following methods
were utilized, including (i) Semi-structured interviews,
and (ii) Random and purposive sampling to collect
primary data and information. It targeted groups that
are related to the MSW management in Vang Vieng
district, in terms of both policy and operation. There
were three groups as information providers, including
1) Government sector: a) Urban Development and
Administration Authority (1 head of the office and 1
technical staff), b) Public Works and Transport Office
(1 head of the office and 1 technical staff), c) Natural
Resource and Environment Office (1 head of the office
and 1 technical staff), d) Department of Health Office
(1 head of the office and 1 technical staff), (2) Private
sector: representatives of private companies, hotels,
restaurants, etc. (10 people), (3) Community:
Representatives’ chief of village that was contracted in
waste collection service (20 people). Data collection
was conducted via face-to-face in-depth interviews and
questionnaires.
Secondary data: The secondary data were
collected by referring to articles on the internet, reports
from government/NGOs/ international organizations,
and private companies Sampling: The solid waste
sampling surveys were performed in different areas in
Vang Vieng district, such as the urban area (15
samples), the rural area (15 samples), and the public
area (10 samples). The waste samples were separated
into different components and weighted to identify the
waste composition. The weight of collected MSW
from the public area and households was 10 and 5 kg,
respectively.
2.2. Data analysis methods:
The data analysis in the present study was based on
a semi-quantitative method by analyzing the results of

interviews, sampling, and surveys as shown in Figure
1. Material flow analysis (MFA): The analysis
was done with MSW samples from different categories
of households using the MFA method to evaluate the
MSW flow in Vang Vieng. This includes the MSW
generation, composition, collection rate, recycling
capacity, and disposal method. The mass balance
equation used in this investigation is as follows [12]:
Mass stock = Mass input -Mass output (1)
(Assumption: no reaction occurred).
Strength, weakness, opportunities, threats
(SWOT): This method was applied to analyze the
opportunities and barriers of MSW management by
investigating factors that may affect MSW
management, including internal and external factors
[13].
Internal factors: The internal factors, which are
used to study the strengths and weaknesses, include the
MSW management of local administrative
organizations, policies/activities/projects related to the
MSW management by communities, and the readiness
and potential of local government organizations.
External factors: The external factors, which are
used to study opportunities and threats, are policies,
laws, and regulations on the MSW management of
agencies outside Vang Vieng, and public participation.
Threats, opportunities, weaknesses, and
strengths (TOWS): This matrix was used to propose
some solutions for applying the CE concept in local
governmental organizations. It was conducted by using
relevant theoretical concepts to discuss and present the
study's findings in a systematic and clear manner
Figure 1. Conceptual framework
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1. Current status of municipal solid waste
management in Vang Vieng
MSW quantity: The MSW is generated from the
daily activities of households, shops, office buildings,
governmental offices, and educational institutions. The
amount of the MSW in Vang Vieng is 43.33 tons/day,
including 21,717 tons/day (50.11 %) in the urban areas,
15,393 tons/day (35.52 %) in the rural areas, and 6,225
tons/day (14.37 %) in the public places. Of which, the
amount of collected MSW is 15 tons/day, representing
34.62 %. The recycling rate is low with only 5
tons/day, accounting for 11.54 %. The amount of
MSW disposed at a landfill is around 11.5 tons/day,
being 26.54 %. The remaining MSW amount is
disposed of by other methods (e.g., burning, open
dumping). The MSW flow in Vang Vieng is illustrated
in below Figure 2 (Sources: the data were obtained
by author’s sampling and interviews).
Figure 2. Waste flow in Vang Vieng (unit: ton/day)
MSW composition: The composition of municipal
solid waste in Vang Vieng district mainly is organic
waste covering 56 %, plastic 19 %, paper 11 %, and
others (14 %) as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3. MSW composition in Vang Vieng

The waste composition from the urban area, public
area, and rural area is given in Table 1 as follows:
Table 1. Composition of MSW from different areas in
vang vieng
MSW disposal: The government and private
companies associated with MSW management in Vang
Vieng are displayed in Figure 4. It can be seen that the
MSW management in Vang Vieng is related to 3
district governors, including the Natural Resources and
Environment Office, Urban Development and
Administration Authority Office, and Public Works
and Transport Office. While the first office is
responsible for conducting activities to raise public
awareness, the third office is in charge of providing
technical assistance. The collection, transportation, and
disposal of the MSW in Vang Vieng are implemented
by private companies under the supervision of the
second office.
MSW collection: The company, which is
responsible for the MSW collection in Vang Vieng, has
2 compactor trucks and 1 normal truck. These vehicles
are used to collect the MSW in the urban areas every
day and in the rural areas once per week. While the
MSW collection in the urban areas of Vang Vieng is
implemented at night time, this activity in the rural
areas of the district is done in the daytime.
MSW recycling: MSW recycling: There were 2
recycling centers in Vang Vieng, which collect the
MSW directly from markets and restaurants or
purchase the MSW that can be recycled from the local
waste pickers at either recycling centers or final
disposal sites.
Figure 4. Organization chart of waste management in
Vang Vieng
The collected recyclable materials are then
transported to Vientiane capital and sold to the
recycling centers there. Besides, some buyers purchase
aluminum cans. The MSW, which is collected from the
community by the collection company, is sorted at a
landfill, where around 30 people are working on the
MSW separation. The MSW that can not be reused
(e.g., foam, others) is dumped at the landfill.
3.2. Opportunities and barriers toward circular
economy in Vang Vieng
In this study, the SWOT analysis is done with
both internal and external factors, which may influence
the MSW management in Vang Vieng.
Internal factors: The internal factors are used to
assess the strengths and weaknesses in the MSW
management in Vang Vieng. They include such
important factors as human resources,
policies/plans/projects, capital/funds, and
equipment/materials. The strengths and weaknesses of
all internal factors are analyzed in detail as presented in
Table 2.
- The municipality's management human resources
have a broad vision, systematic thinking, empirical
performance, and are willing to work the best in
their conditions. The governor works closely with
the related authority on MSW management.
However, there are insufficient human resources
with abundant knowledge and experience in MSW
management.
- The Vang Vieng district's policy-making procedure
corresponds to the notions of local participation and
good governance. The MSW management strategies
are included in the Vang Vieng Master Plan, which
encourages public participation by raising
awareness of waste segregation among the local
youth and population. Nevertheless, the guidelines
on MSW management are still lacking.
- The segregation trash cans are not provided in
certain locations. Vehicles for collecting waste on
small roads are still inadequate. Therefore, the
MSW collection is currently limited to the main
roads.
- The current waste collection fee does not reflect the
actual cost for the entire MSW management system.
Vang Vieng needs an additional budget for MSW
management.
Type of
MSW waste
Urban area
(%)
Rural
area (%)
Public
area
(%)
Organic 56.38 58.71 51.2
Plastic 18.25 15.14 24.61
Paper 10.44 7.61 15.13
Other 14.93 18.54 9.06

Table 2. Internal factors influencing the application of
circular economy in Vang Vieng
Strengths Weaknesses
Human resources
- Vang Vieng has the
local authorities in
charge of handling
the MSW.
- The involvement of
the private sector in
the MSW
management e.g.,
waste collection,
leaning, grass
moving, equipment
providing) helps
local staffs relieve
the heavy workload.
- Human resources who
have knowledge and
experience in MSW
management are
insufficient.
- The MSW segregation
is still lacking.
- Some people are
unconcerned about
their responsibilities
and do not function
properly.
Policies/Plans/Projects
- The principles of
good governance
and local
engagement are
taken into
consideration when
the government of
Vang Vieng
formulates its
policies.
- Strategies, plans, and
programs related to
MSW management
are defined
following the Vang
Vieng town and
environment master
plan.
- Policies from the
executive level or the
district mayor
currently lack the
supervision of the
community.
- Guidelines on MSW
management are still
lacking.
Capital/fund
- The government and
the private sector
share both
responsibility and
revenue from
garbage collection
services.
- Payments by parties
involved in MSW
disposal at the
landfill helps to
reduce the
municipality’s
- The current waste
collection fee does
not reflect the actual
cost for the entire
solid waste
management system,
thus being
insufficient for
maintaining its
operation.
- The annual budget
may be inadequate to
cover all expenditures
expenses for MSW
management.
- The municipality
sets aside a budget
for solid waste
disposal, enabling
the implementation
of work contracts
and equipment
purchasing.
for raising people’s
awareness and
changing people’s
behaviors.
Equipment materials
- The municipality has
provided vehicles for
MSW management
in Vang Vieng, such
as 3 solid waste
collection vehicles,
including 1 small-
wheeled garbage
truck and 2
compactor dump
trucks.
- Trash cans are
insufficient to handle
the daily waste
stream. Outside the
ferret bins, there is a
problem with rubbish
overflow
- Separation trash cans
are placed in a certain
location so they
cannot be found in
the remaining areas.
Hence, people are not
encouraged to sort
their trash.
External factors: the external factors are analyzed
to assess opportunities (positive effects) and threats
(negative effects) for the MSW management in Vang
Vieng. They included such factors as area conditions,
social and community engagement, cooperation with
external agencies, government policies, technology,
and mass media. The external factors that influence the
application of CE in Vang Vieng are presented in
Table 3 as follows.
- Vang Vieng is a medium-sized municipality with an
area of 212.5 km2
, which is located in the center of
Vientiane province. Tourism is the most important
industry in Vang Vieng. The district has a large
open landfill, which is being upgraded to a sanitary
landfill.
- Rural communities in Vang Vieng are dependent,
easy to communicate with, coordinate with, and ask
for help. The community leaders in these areas are
enthusiastic, environmentally conscious, and
willing to attend meetings to express their views on
MSW management. Additionally, residents in these
areas are aware of environmental protection.
- Many external environmental organizations have
come to support Vang Vieng in terms of funds,
materials, and equipment to intensify the MSW

management (e.g., the Swisscontact’s project). This
is the result of the empirical performance in the
environment and MSW management, which
encourages the involvement of both public and
private sectors in the MSW management in Vang
Vieng.
- Information technology and mass communication
have facilitated the opportunity to access
information, and distribute knowledge about MSW
management, making more people know about
Vang Vieng, thus attracting more external
collaboration and investment.
- Technologies for MSW treatment (e.g., biogas
fermentation) improve the effectiveness of MSW
disposal in Vang Vieng.
Table 3. External factors influencing the application of
circular economy in vang vieng
Opportunities Threats
Area conditions
- Vang Vieng is located
in the center of
Vientiane Province so
the transportation of
MSW is convenient.
- Vang Vieng has a
landfill with a total
area of 9 ha. Of
which, 2 ha are in use.
The landfill is being
upgraded to a sanitary
landfill, which will be
completed in 2024.
- The alleys are quite
small, making
waste collection in
alleys difficult.
Thus, the waste
collection service is
restricted to only
areas near the main
roads.
Social and community engagement
- Rural communities
are living in the
periphery areas of
Vang Vieng and the
district can easily
communicate,
coordinate with, and
seek their help in
MSW management.
- The community
leaders in Vang Vieng
are enthusiastic and
have awareness of the
environment.
- As a result of
environmental
education given by the
town authority, the
- In areas, ulterior
people come to work
in large numbers,
forming urban
communities, which
refuse to collaborate
with the municipality
in MSW
management.
- Some people believe
that the municipality
has already taken
care of the solid
garbage at the
disposal sites. Thus,
it is not essential to
separate the waste at
the source.
local residents have
consciousness of the
environment.
Consequently, the
municipality bears
the burden of waste
separation.
Cooperation with external agencies
- Some external
organizations are
pioneers in supporting
the municipality to
improve the
effectiveness of its
MSW management in
the forms of money,
equipment, etc. (E.g.,
ADB sponsored the
upgrading of the open
landfill to a sanitary
landfill and the project
on turning waste into
added value products).
Government policies
- The State has an
environmental
strategy that promotes
3Rs in the MSW
management.
- Law enforcement is
ineffective. There is
a lack of regulations
on solid waste
management.
Technology and mass media
- Internet and social
media make it easy
and quick for sharing
information and
expertise on MSW
management among
individuals, leaders of
the communities, and
organizations.
- Initiatives related to
MSW management
(e.g., the
transformation of
trash using eco-
friendly products) are
increasingly practical
and intriguing.
- Lack of cost-
effective and green
technologies for
MSW management.
Opportunities for applying CE in MSW
management in Vang Vieng:
- According to the action plan, the Urban
Development and Administration Authority
(UDAA) is in charge of MSW management to
keep the city clean and tidy. Public involvement in
MSW management is encouraged. The

government agencies act proactively and
collaborate with all sectors by visiting the
community to guide residents on how to manage
MSW properly, reduce the MSW quantity, and
segregate the MSW.
- The private sector plays an increasingly active
role in MSW management. For example, some
local supermarkets use easily biodegradable
materials for food packaging and sell recycled
waste to generate cash.
- The local people start using cloth bags and
drinking glassware to minimize the generated
MSW quantity. Numerous communities in Vang
Vieng are interested in MSW management,
cleaning up the environment, turning waste into
compost, etc.
Challenges for applying CE in MSW
management in Vang Vieng
- Integration of the MSW management in all
sectors’ development plans is still lacking. The
current operation related to MSW management is
still lacking public participation. Some people still
believe that this is the responsibility of the sole
municipality.
- At present, a significant MSW volume needs to be
disposed of because it is rarely separated at
sources. The MSW segregation is not
implemented by local communities. This is due to
a lack of understanding about trash classification,
waste reuse, and income generation from waste.
- Due to the lack of bins and collection trucks, as
well as the low awareness of villagers, a portion
of the MSW in Vang Vieng is not placed properly
and collected, causing environmental pollution
(e.g., odor, leachate) and making the city messy.
This is even worse in small alleys, where
collection cars can hardly access.
3.3. Applying the concept of circular economy in
local government organizations
To analyze favorable conditions for applying the
concept of the circular economy in the MSW in Vang
Vieng and provide suggestions for addressing
obstacles, the TOWS matrix is used as shown in Figure
5.
Figure 5. Tows matrix
Solutions for applying CE in MSW management
in Vang Vieng
- Promoting the local communities to apply the 3Rs
principle (reduce, reuse, and recycle) more widely
in the practice.
- Encouraging local businesses to recycle waste as
raw materials to produce goods.
- There should be a framework and procedure for
classifying and gathering different kinds of waste
from the community.
- Collaboration among the private sector, local
government entities, and external agencies in
addressing MSW management.
- Local government should work with the national
government to modify existing laws and
regulations to encourage CE implementation in
MSW management.
- The conversion of MSW into energy and value-
added products should be further promoted.
IV. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
4.1. Conclusions
• The MSW management in Vang Vieng now still
has some limitations, such as the lack of proper
awareness of MSW management and insufficient
collection service, recycling, and technologies.
The CE concept is not familiar to government
authorities and local communities.
• In the future, it is viable to apply the CE concept
in MSW management in the form of various
activities. Besides, MSW management, which is
based on the 3Rs principles and community
activities toward CE, should be encouraged in
Vang Vieng.

4.2. Recommendations
• The MSW separation in households, businesses,
and communities should be encouraged. The
separation trash cans should be located throughout
the district.
• The MSW transportation should be improved by
providing more waste collection trucks and
laborers.
• The promulgation and enforcement of incentive
policies to encourage the recycling of MSW into
value-added products should be done.
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