On the morning of March 17, 2026, a delegation from Kitakyushu City, led by Ms. Ooyama Mifuyu, Manager of the Carbon Neutrality Center under the Environmental Bureau of Kitakyushu City, held a working session with the Hai Phong Department of Foreign Affairs. The delegation was received by Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hương, Deputy Director of the Department, along with representatives from the International Cooperation Division.
During the meeting, both sides continued discussions on cooperation activities implemented during the 2024–2025 period with relevant agencies of Hai Phong City regarding the rural waste management project. Based on field surveys conducted in Vĩnh Bảo Commune, the delegation has developed a proposal to pilot a small-scale food waste treatment center using composting technology.
Ms. Ooyama Mifuyu and Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hương during the meeting
Accordingly, the Kitakyushu side plans to propose that the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations in Kitakyushu (CLAIR) provide funding for the project over a one-year period to assess the feasibility of the model. The project focuses on establishing a composting center at the existing landfill site in Vĩnh Bảo, covering an area of approximately 100 m², with a processing capacity of about 1 ton of food waste per day. The proposed technology is aerobic composting using a simple aeration system, which can shorten the processing time to around 9 days, reduce odors, and improve operational efficiency.
The project aims to address a notable current issue: approximately 50% of municipal solid waste in rural areas consists of organic waste (mainly food waste), while household-level composting has not been consistently or effectively maintained. As a result, a large volume of waste must be treated through landfilling, which consumes valuable land resources and poses potential negative environmental impacts. Through the composting center model, the Kitakyushu side expects to promote waste segregation at source, strengthen the circular economy, and support sustainable agricultural development in the locality. Representatives of Kitakyushu also expressed their hope that, if the pilot project proves successful, the model could be replicated in other rural areas of Hai Phong.
Participants at the meeting
Speaking at the meeting, Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hương, Deputy Director of the Hai Phong Department of Foreign Affairs, expressed her pleasure at the concrete progress in cooperation between the two sides and highly appreciated the practicality and feasibility of the proposed project, especially as Hai Phong is currently focusing on promoting sustainable rural waste management.
She suggested that the delegation continue detailed discussions with relevant agencies of the city, particularly the People’s Committee of Vĩnh Bảo Commune, in order to clarify the implementation plan, coordination mechanisms, participating stakeholders, as well as to conduct surveys and select suitable locations to ensure effectiveness and feasibility during implementation. The Hai Phong Department of Foreign Affairs affirmed its readiness to support and coordinate with partners throughout the project implementation process, as well as to facilitate connections between businesses of both sides, thereby contributing to further strengthening the substantive and effective cooperation between Hai Phong and Kitakyushu.
In the same afternoon, the delegation also held a working session with the Environmental Management Division under the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hai Phong to further discuss and clarify the project proposal. At the meeting, representatives from Kitakyushu provided a more detailed introduction to the small-scale composting center model proposed for implementation in Vĩnh Bảo Commune.
Participants at the working session with the Department of Agriculture and Environment
Representatives of the Department of Agriculture and Environment highly appreciated the practicality of the proposal, noting that it aligns well with the city’s orientation to strengthen waste segregation at source and promote the circular economy in solid waste management. To ensure feasibility and effectiveness in practical implementation, the Department also updated the delegation on the city’s latest plans and strategies related to solid waste management and treatment.
In addition, it was emphasized that clearly defining the roles, responsibilities, and obligations of each party in the project implementation process is essential. At the same time, it is necessary to enhance direct engagement with the People’s Committee of Vĩnh Bảo Commune and the units currently managing and operating local landfill sites in order to assess coordination capacity, readiness for participation, and to better understand the actual needs and conditions of the locality in the event that the project is implemented.