For more than four decades, David Duong has worked at the intersection of environmental stewardship and large-scale waste infrastructure, serving millions of residents across the United States and Vietnam. As founder and CEO of California Waste Solutions (CWS) and Vietnam Waste Solutions (VWS), he has helped build community-centered recycling systems, modern sanitary landfill operations, and long-term environmental services that support public health and economic resilience on both continents.
A Bit About the Past
Long before the King of Trash documentary, Duong hailed from Vietnam and immigrated to the California coast after the fall of Saigon. Duong’s family understands quite personally the need to reduce, recycle, and simply make do. Many immigrant families recognize the importance of repurposing in their own home lives, and Duong himself is no exception. Perhaps it is this understanding of the inherent value of things and the recognition that they can be lost so quickly that has led him to be far more careful when disposing of refuse.
Founding a Family-Led Waste Management Enterprise
Duong’s early family values of responsibility, resourcefulness, and community support became the foundation for the disciplined, systems-focused approach he would later bring to his work. Over the following decades, these principles guided the development of California Waste Solutions (CWS), shaping the organization’s operational culture and long-term commitment to reliable, community-centered environmental services.
With a single used truck and these deeply held values, Duong would start serving his local community and begin honing the much-needed skills centered on sustainable waste management practices. CWS continued growing, eventually expanding as CWS Oakland to process an estimated 1,000 tons of material per week, and a massive 1,300 tons per week in neighboring areas as CWS San Jose. This growth reflects not only technical expertise but also the contributions of the next generation, including David’s eldest son, Michael Duong, as well as his siblings Kristina and Victor Duong, who help guide the financial, operational, and strategic pillars of the family enterprise.
Local Impact to Global Reach
By focusing on making waste management more environmentally friendly, Duong’s enterprise contributed to the local and green economies by creating more jobs in the sustainability sector and across the Bay Area. Undoubtedly, CWS became a tool for giving back to the community, but Duong had his sights set on something new and old at once, returning to Vietnam with the skills and expertise to bolster the local economy and green economy there, too.
In Ho Chi Minh City, Duong founded the Vietnamese counterpart of CWS and was inspired by CWS, Vietnam Waste Solutions, or VWS, to build a modern, engineered, purpose-built solid waste facility that applies the same kind of economic and sustainable infrastructure that he had developed in the Bay Area. With VWS, Duong leveraged his expertise to modernize waste management practices and implement global recycling processing and disposal from his U.S.-based operations.
Advancing Community-Focused Waste Services in Vietnam
As Vietnam Waste Solutions continues its work in Ho Chi Minh City, where it manages up to 7,500 tons of waste per day, the company remains centered on responsibility and long-term service. The development of the Long An Green Environmental Technology Park, a new-generation integrated waste management facility designed to use the newest technologies and provide an expanding range of services to customers and the surrounding community, reflects this steady, community-first approach.
Rather than focusing on trends or titles, Duong’s work reflects a long-term commitment to environmental stewardship, built on service, accountability, and the belief that sustainable systems must ultimately support communities first. His efforts across Vietnam and the United States continue to demonstrate the values that have guided him for decades: reliability, public service, and the development of cleaner, safer waste systems for future generations.