A survey on household solid waste generation and physical composition was conducted in Hanoi City, the capital of Vietnam. The study sampled 110 households in specific areas with different population density and household scale. Household solid waste was classified into 13 main categories and 25 sub-categories. The results showed that average generation rate of waste in Hanoi City is 0.63 kg per person per day with a slightly higher rate in rural areas than urban ones. The largest proportion was food and garden waste at 78.9% followed by plastic and paper. Plastic waste was segregated into plastic and nylon, and nylon was double that of plastics in household solid waste. Compared to previous studies, this study found a higher portion of organic matter in the waste characterization that could be attributed to the changes in lifestyle patterns associated with COVID-19. This situation provides challenges and opportunities for introducing biomass technology to recover energy.