Cambodia’s solid waste collection has increased more than 40 percent over the last five years, according to an official and the Ministry of Environment’s annual report released on Monday.
The rubbish collected in the country jumped to 1,423,923 tonnes in 2017, from 990,199 tonnes in 2012, according to the report – a 43.5 percent increase. From 2016 to 2017 alone, trash collection went up 12.5 percent. “The situation of waste management, solid waste nationwide, in 2017 is better than [in] the previous years,” the report reads.
Dy Kiden, director of the Ministry of Environment’s Solid Waste Department, attributed the increase in waste collection to three factors: population increases, expanded waste collection and improving livelihoods, which have led to greater consumption and, in turn, more trash.
“The sub-national administration paid more attention to environmental issues, collection and transport, and some disorder [with] waste piles was eliminated in [cities’] downtowns,” the report said.
Additionally, the Ministry of Environment spent 21 billion riel (about $5.25 million) to target 26 towns across the country from 2015 to 2017 to implement solid and liquid waste management, Environment Minister Say Sam Al said during a speech on Monday.
The report’s data on solid waste came from 79 dumpsites across the Kingdom in 2017. This year, there were also 462 recycling depots, 17 more than last year.
Still, Heng Yonkora, executive director of Community Sanitation and Recycling Organization, said the country still lacks enough recycling services, particularly for light plastics and foam materials.
