Võ Thanh Thương (right) and Lê Thanh Quyết during their night shift. Photos thanhnien.vn

Thu Ngân & Thúy Liễu

HCM CITY At exactly 8pm when the streets are still crowded with traffic, Võ Thanh Thương, 27, from Hậu Giang Province arrives at Bình Long Street to begin his shift. He prepares his gear, broom, gloves, hard hat, warning light and a water bottle.

He is among hundreds of sanitation workers in HCM City who keep the city clean everyday, or many international newspapers call them the hidden heroes.

He said: "In recent years, the amount of trash has increased. This area isn’t designated for dumping, but people throw trash here all the time. On some days, it piles up to fill two trucks.”

Coming from a difficult background, Thương didn’t continue his studies after high school. Through a friend’s recommendation, he joined the HCM City Urban Environment Company (Citenco) as a garbage collector in Bình Tân District’s sanitation team. Seven years have flown by.

Thương cleans the streets assigned to him, carefully checking every corner, then gathers the waste at a collection point and waits for the garbage truck. By then, it’s well past midnight.

In total, he covers around 5 to 6km of streets. Thương said he’s used to the routine to ensure his area is trash-free.

Reflecting on his first days on the job being a 20-year-old adjusting to the fast-paced city life, he said: "Living alone, far from home, I used to feel lonely and wanted to quit to return to my parents. I told myself I’m young and healthy, so I shouldn't give up easily. I decided to stick with it for a few years before thinking about other plans.”

When asked if the job is difficult, Thương replied: "Some people may feel embarrassed by this work, but I never have. Our sanitation team has both young workers and veterans with decades of experience. Most challenges are external factors.”

He doesn’t dwell much on the tough parts, like long night shifts, garbage smells, dust, or unfriendly looks from some people. But the thing that worries him most is the rain.

“When it rains, you get soaked, and it’s easier to get sick," Thương told Thanh Niên (Young People) newspaper.

"Drivers also pay less attention, which increases the risk of accidents. But if you're careful, you get used to it. Our team has received thorough safety training.

“I feel lucky and grateful for this job. The company provides good salaries, bonuses, and benefits, so I’m not worried about unemployment.

"During the day, I do delivery work to earn extra income. But what really keeps me in this job is feeling the true value of what I do - cleaning the streets and protecting the environment.”

Meaning behind the work

A night shift of sanitation workers starts at around 8pm.

The sanitation team in Bình Tân District has many young workers.

Lê Thanh Quyết is only 23 years old and already has more than five years experience.

Her father also worked as a sanitation worker for Citenco before he passed away. Her mother joined the company after that and has been working there for over 10 years.

After finishing high school, Quyết quit studying and, true to her name's meaning in Vietnamese, was determined to convince her mom to let her join the sanitation team.

“My mother didn’t want me to have such a hard job," Quyết said.

"She joked that it’s rare to see young people doing this work like me. But I don’t see anything bad about this job. I like it and feel proud. When I started, I followed my mother around. She swept, and I collected the trash. Now I handle everything myself.”

Quyết cleans up along Kênh Nước Đen Street and some small alleys in Bình Hưng Hòa A Ward. Like Thương, her shift starts at 8.30pm and only ends when the garbage truck arrives. During the day, she stays home to cook, clean and rest.

“Sometimes I work three shifts from morning to night. The worst part is handling special types of trash, like dead rats. We have to neatly pack them up to wait for the garbage truck,” she said.

According to Quyết, sanitation work isn’t easy, especially in HCM City, where traffic is always busy and drunk drivers are a constant danger.

“That’s why I never forget my four essentials: gloves, helmet, warning light and reflective vest. The older team members help me a lot, from reminding me to wear my gear to helping me tie the broom properly since I didn’t know how to secure it tightly at first,” Quyết said.

Sometimes she feels a bit frustrated when people carelessly throw trash right in front of her. But on the brighter side, she’s touched when kids or passers by offer her water and snacks.

“Many people do understand and appreciate sanitation workers. When I think about it, I stay in this job not just out of responsibility but because I genuinely enjoy it and value the meaning behind the work,” Quyết said.

Researching waste treatment technology

Citenco also has a team dedicated to researching and staying ahead of new waste treatment technologies.

Environmental engineer Nguyễn Thị Lệ, team leader of the Environmental Technology and Laboratory Department, said the team works on projects with domestic and international partners, researches and develops environmental technology, manages laboratory operations and handles regulatory affairs.

After graduating with a degree in biotechnology, Lệ joined Citenco and has stayed for 14 years.

In addition to technical and environmental expertise, Lệ said this role requires thorough knowledge of specialised regulations, modern technologies and emerging trends. Workers also need to develop skills like office work, communication, analysis, evaluation and English proficiency to work with foreign partners.

According to Lệ, the core global and domestic trend is sustainable development and the circular economy. The environmental sector will continue to be a field of the future - with technology at its heart.

Citenco has constantly innovated with green solutions, like setting up recycling collection stations. Since 2022, these stations have recovered over 1,000 tons of waste.

The company has also analysed the composition of household waste and is building a database to establish HCM City’s future Waste Treatment and Recycling Centre.

Looking at the labour market, Lệ believed that young people who are passionate about the environment and sustainability should consider careers in waste sorting, recycling, carbon credits and the circular economy. VNS