Sahmakum Teang Tnaut Organization (STT) released a report titled Phnom Penh Solid Waste Management 2024 on December 26, 2024, which compares the challenges between those in urban poor settlements and general residential areas.
The research focused on solid waste management in Phnom Penh, highlighting differences between community and general residential areas, with the aim of promoting efficient and equitable solid waste management in the city and providing a clear roadmap for policymakers and relevant stakeholders to address these challenges.
It seeks to pinpoint specific issues and offer practical recommendations to key stakeholders, including local authorities, waste collection companies, residents, and urban poor communities, with the goal of enhancing the efficiency of the city’s solid waste management system.
This study is based on a survey of 203 families across 14 urban poor settlements and general residential areas in Chamkarmon, Meanchey, Russey Keo, Pur Senchey, Dangkor, and Chbar Ampov districts in Phnom Penh.
The report identifies a significant issue – the shortage of waste dumping sites. Approximately 26% of residents reported this challenge, which results in littering in public spaces. The problem not only poses health risks but also negatively impacts the environment.
Due to the absence of proper disposal facilities, residents often resort to disposing waste in front of their homes or in unauthorized areas, leading to neighborhood conflicts and inadequate waste management.
The report also highlights the issue of inaccessibility of waste collection trucks, noting that many urban poor settlements are located in areas with narrow streets that trucks cannot reach. Consequently, residents are compelled to store waste in their homes until they can find an opportunity to dispose of it, resulting in unpleasant odors and health hazards.
In response to these challenges, some urban poor settlements have organized volunteer waste collectors who use small carts for daily collection. However, these initiatives often lack support from local authorities or waste management companies.
Chhi Eoub , 55, a resident of Veal Sbov community in Chbar Ampov district, told CamboJA News that the lack of service from garbage collection companies is partly responsible for garbage congestion and why residents owe garbage collectors. She added that garbage congestion and improper disposal of garbage affect their health, including making children more susceptible to cold, diarrhea and fever.
The lack of garbage collection yet having to pay for garbage service confuses her and other villagers.
Relating her experience from the past, she said, she paid her monthly garbage fee at Electricite du Cambodge, but there was no truck to collect garbage at the community site. So, the villagers protested at the electricity payment office and the district office where they live.
In response, the district authorities gave the villagers trash cans. From then on, trucks came to collect the garbage. However, she lamented that since 2022, she has owed up to 400,000 riel in garbage collection fees, even though she paid her electricity bill prior to that despite not having any garbage collection then.
“There is a lot of garbage in my village because the villagers owe money to the garbage collector. Not everyone dares to put their garbage in the bin. Some villagers don’t understand this and just throw garbage everywhere, which results in a lot of garbage [in the area] and affects the health of the community,” Eoub said.
Am Poch, Prek Thom 1 Village chief in Chbar Ampov District, claimed that garbage disposal and collection service in his village is regular. There is no buildup of garbage as the garbage collection company collected the garbage according to the schedule.
Residents whose houses are further inside the village have to carry their garbage to the truck, he said, however there are still residents who have not cooperated in the garbage disposal system.
“They have been told before, but it is still the same. There are no fines because the villagers are united. Some residents understand, but some don’t,” Pouch said.
Another resident in Chamroeun Community in Chbar Ampov district, Kop Aun, 68, said she does not have garbage trucks coming to her area to collect garbage. The garbage collection company “always promises” to collect the garbage during meetings with the authorities and residents, but in reality, they do not implement it. The garbage congestion also has affected their health, especially young children.
“The roads in this area are so narrow that garbage trucks can’t get in, so the garbage is stuck in my area. Sometimes the villagers take the garbage to the market, and the houses that don’t take the garbage out have to endure the bad smell,” Aun said.
Aun requested the garbage collection company to arrange for small carts to collect garbage in communities where there are narrow roads to ensure better order and people’s well-being.
“[As we see] National Road 1 is clean, but the small roads are not clean. People living in the same community also want a clean environment just like everyone else,” said Aun.
The STT report mentioned that major challenges stem from a lack of involvement from local authorities. The current waste management system suffers from critical systematic gaps.

Another major challenge was due to only sporadic involvement from waste collection companies. The research found that waste collection companies have not systematically analyzed their target user groups or assessed resident’s smartphone access. Also, the company’s information dissemination remains severely limited. The companies lack robust customer service assessment mechanisms.
STT offered five recommendations based on their findings. They urged for an expansion of waste disposal infrastructure to ensure accessibility, ensure community-driven solid waste segregation initiative, digital solid waste collection schedule, and monitoring, promote public-private partnerships for improved governance, and monitor and evaluate policy implementation.
Kheng Vuthy, Head of the City Cleaning Office of Cintri, said they have two methods for waste collection based on road accessibility for urban poor settlements. For roads where their trucks cannot enter, carts are used. For narrow roads that are not accessible to carts, an alternative method tailored to the specific location is employed.
“We use carts to collect trash directly from their houses. However, on narrow roads, like in Prek Eng commune where it’s difficult to even walk, we ask residents to bring their trash to a designated location. We provide bins there to help reduce litter,” he said.
He also mentioned that another option is to inform residents of the truck’s schedule so that they can dispose of their waste directly into the truck between 4 a.m and 5 a.m.
He added that the company also educates residents about proper waste disposal. They cooperate with relevant authorities, such as village, commune, and district officials, to raise awareness and improve understanding. “Don’t risk disposing of it in the river, as it can contaminate the water we rely on for drinking,” he said.
Koem Chanreaksmey, head of the research project of STT, said to address the challenges, stakeholders should focus on ensuring accessibility and expanding facilities for waste management, promoting community-driven solid waste segregation initiatives, and establishing digital solid waste collection schedules while ensuring proper monitoring.
Chanreaksmey added that strengthening public-private partnerships can enhance governance, while consistent monitoring and evaluation of policy implementation will ensure effectiveness and long-term.
Challenges in waste collection and ineffective governance are not just a sanitation issue, she shared, “but it can lead to impacts on public health, quality of life, and sustainable development of cities”.
“During the interview, some residents said when their health is affected, it also affects their household income,” she said.
Phnom Penh deputy governor Keut Chhe could not be reached for comment.