Royal Mission to Vietnam: Olivier Dufrasne, President of Ecosteryl, was involved in it for sustainable medical waste management

Belgium recently marked a significant milestone in its diplomatic relations with Vietnam through a state visit led by the Belgian royal couple. This mission brought together political, economic, and academic figures, with a strong presence of Belgian business leaders and experts in sustainable development and waste management. Among these experts, Olivier Dufrasne, President of Ecosteryl, actively participated in discussions about innovative solutions for medical waste management—an issue of critical importance for Vietnam.

The Vietnamese context of infectious medical waste

Vietnam, with a population of over 100 million inhabitants and rapid development, is facing numerous environmental challenges. Among them, the management of medical waste is a major issue. The country generates nearly 669.58 tons of medical waste daily, a figure that continues to rise with urbanization and industrialization. Proper management of this waste is essential for public health and to mitigate environmental risks.

The Royal Mission: focus on environmental issues and waste management

During the mission, a meeting panel dedicated to the environment was held in Hanoi, where Belgian experts presented their waste management solutions. Thanks to its expertise in recycling and sustainable management of medical waste, Ecosteryl emerged as a key player. Vietnam, facing outdated infrastructure and processing technologies, is actively seeking solutions to modernize its waste management practices.

Olivier Dufrasne, as President of Ecosteryl, showcased technological innovations in medical waste treatment. Our machines ensure medical waste is disinfected safely and reduce its volume, contributing to a more efficient and sustainable hospital waste management. Disinfecting, sorting, and recycling infectious waste in a country of 100 million inhabitants is a significant challenge. Ecosteryl’s machines use only electricity, offering an eco-friendly alternative to incineration. This approach was demonstrated by Olivier Dufrasne during the mission.

Opportunities for collaboration with Vietnam

During the mission, discussions were held with Vietnamese authorities and the two largest hospitals in the country, located in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City—each with more than 3,000 beds. These meetings have strengthened cooperation between Belgium and Vietnam.

Vietnam has expressed a growing interest in solid and medical waste processing technologies coming from Belgium. In this context, initiatives like those led by Ecosteryl are paving the way for public-private partnerships and pilot waste management projects. The goal is to co-develop sustainable and effective solutions, drawing on Belgian expertise to address Vietnam’s environmental challenges.

During his speech, Mr. Adrien Dolimont, Minister-President of the Walloon Region, emphasized the enormous potential for collaboration between Vietnam and Belgium to develop sustainable solid waste management solutions. He expressed his wish for this cooperation to materialize through specific programs involving governments, companies, and researchers, aiming to strengthen the circular economy and improve waste management practices.

In part of the session titled “Connecting Belgian expertise to Vietnam’s waste management needs”, discussions focused on the current state of Vietnam’s solid waste management system, identifying challenges and gaps in collection, sorting, treatment, recycling, and reuse. This meeting paved the way for fruitful exchanges, offering innovative solutions to address Vietnam’s growing environmental concerns.

This visit received local media coverage, with articles in various Vietnamese newspapers, including:

• Le journal Moi Truong
• Le journal Nang Luong Sach Vietnam
• Le journal Baomoi
• Le journal Xay Gung
• Le journal Vietnam Plus
• Le journal Nhan Dan

Together moving towards sustainable biomedical waste management

The state visit to Vietnam strengthened bilateral ties between the two countries, particularly in the field of environmental cooperation. With its expertise in medical waste management, Ecosteryl positioned itself as a key player in this dynamic collaboration.

Together, let’s pave the way to a cleaner and more sustainable future.

Ecosteryl warmly thanks AWEX and its partners for the fruitful exchanges.
If you would like to learn more about our innovative solutions for medical waste treatment, please contact us by email at: sales@ecosteryl.com.