Vietnam's Annual Plastic Waste Production: A Troubling Overview

Vietnam is facing a country-wide plastic pollution crisis, with an estimated 3.1 million metric tons of plastic waste discharged on land each year, and at least 10% of this waste ending up in the ocean. The country is one of the top ten countries in the world for plastic pollution, with single-use plastic items making up a large portion of this waste. With rapid economic growth, urbanization, industrialization, and changing lifestyles, Vietnam is struggling to manage and recycle its plastic waste, and is also facing challenges due to its increasing imports of plastic scrap from other countries.

Vietnam's plastic waste management goals

Vietnam is one of the top ten countries in the world for plastic pollution, with more than 8,000 tons of plastic waste generated per day. The country's rapid economic growth, urbanisation, and changing lifestyles have led to a nationwide plastic pollution crisis. Single-use plastic items make up a large portion of plastic pollution in Vietnam, with more than 60% of plastic items being designed for single-use.

To address this issue, the Vietnamese government has set ambitious national plastic waste management goals. The government developed a National Action Plan for Management of Marine Plastic Litter by 2030, aiming to cut marine plastic litter by 50% by 2025 and by 75% by 2030. This plan includes measures such as an impending ban on producing and importing plastic bags for domestic use by 2026 and most single-use plastic products by 2031.

To achieve these goals, Vietnam has implemented several initiatives and programmes:

• The Integrated Waste and Plastic Management (IWPM) programme: This approach focuses on stakeholders, waste system elements, and sustainability aspects. It involves activities such as waste characterisation, research, sorting, education, and policy development.
• Vietnam Action Against Plastic Pollution project: Led by USAID, this project aims to create inclusive circular economies with local and national governments, communities, and the private sector to reduce plastic pollution at its source.
• Behaviour change initiatives: Projects in five cities focused on reducing plastic use, waste generation, and improving waste management by adopting sustainable alternatives.
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations: Vietnam became the first country in Southeast Asia to enact EPR regulations in 2022, holding companies responsible for the cost of disposing of their products.
• Strengthening waste collection supply chains: Initiatives like The Collector Network and the Master Aggregator model support informal waste workers and improve the collection, recycling, and repurposing of plastic waste.

Plastic waste in waterways

Vietnam is facing a plastic pollution crisis, with single-use plastic items making up a large portion of the plastic waste in the country. An estimated 3.1 million metric tons of plastic waste is discharged onto land in Vietnam each year, with at least 10% of this waste ending up in the ocean, making Vietnam one of the top five plastic polluters of the world's oceans.

The plastic waste crisis in Vietnam is particularly evident in its waterways, with plastic waste accounting for the majority of waste found in river and coastal sites. Plastic waste makes up 94% of the total number of items and 71% by weight. The top ten most common plastic items, including non-degradable plastic bags, expanded polystyrene (EPS) food containers, and plastic straws, account for more than 80% of the total plastic waste leaking into waterways.

The Vietnamese government has recognized the severity of the plastic waste crisis and has taken several steps to address it. The government developed a National Action Plan on Marine Plastic Debris to 2030, with the goal of reducing marine plastic litter by 50% by 2025 and 75% by 2030. Vietnam has also enacted "Extended Producer Responsibility" (EPR) regulations, which hold companies responsible for the cost of disposing of their products and incentivize the design of more environmentally friendly products.

In addition to government initiatives, several projects have been implemented at the community level to reduce plastic waste and improve waste management. These projects have focused on behavior change, waste reduction, and improving the policy framework for waste management. For example, in five cities, projects have been implemented with the support of local organizations, contributing to a reduction in plastic straws and plastic bags through the adoption of sustainable alternatives.

Despite these efforts, Vietnam's plastic waste crisis in waterways remains a significant challenge. The Vietnam National Plastics Action Partnership warns that the amount of plastic in waterways could more than double by 2030 if waste collection, recycling, and treatment processes are not improved. A mix of policy instruments, fiscal mechanisms, and a phased approach to reducing single-use plastics are recommended to effectively address the plastic waste crisis in Vietnam's waterways.

Plastic recycling practices

Plastic is one of the most widely used materials in Vietnam, with an annual production increase from two million tons to about 430 million tons between the 1950s and 2019. This upsurge in plastic production, coupled with widespread use and mismanagement, has contributed to severe socio-ecological problems in the country. Vietnam is one of the top ten countries in the world for plastic pollution, with more than 8,000 tons of plastic waste generated per day.

The Vietnamese government has recognised the problem and is actively addressing plastic waste management. In the National Action Plan for Management of Marine Plastic Litter by 2030, Vietnam has set targets to reduce marine plastic litter by 50% by 2025 and 75% by 2030. The government plans to ban the production and importation of plastic bags for domestic use by 2026 and most single-use plastic products by 2031.

To improve the plastic recycling process and reduce plastic waste, the UNDP has supported the implementation of an integrated waste and plastic management (IWPM) programme in Vietnam. The IWPM approach considers three important dimensions: stakeholders, waste system elements, and sustainability aspects. The programme has been implemented in five cities, with projects focusing on behaviour change aimed at plastic use reduction, waste generation reduction, and improving waste management by enhancing the policy framework.

The Vietnamese government and various organisations are actively working to address the plastic waste crisis in the country, with a focus on improving recycling practices and reducing plastic pollution.

Plastic waste import

Vietnam is one of the top ten countries in the world for plastic pollution, with more than 8,000 tons of plastic waste generated per day. The country's rapid economic growth, urbanisation, and changing lifestyles have led to a nationwide plastic pollution crisis, with single-use plastic items making up a large portion of this waste.

To address this issue, Vietnam has set ambitious national plastic waste management goals, and the government has implemented an integrated waste and plastic management (IWPM) programme. The IWPM approach considers stakeholders, waste system elements, and sustainability aspects. Since 2019, the UNDP has provided financial and technical assistance to civil society organisations in five provinces, generating USD 548,781 in co-financing. Additionally, Vietnam has developed a national action plan on marine plastic debris, targeting a 50% reduction in marine plastic litter by 2025 and a 75% reduction by 2030.

However, Vietnam also imports a significant amount of plastic waste. In 2022, the country imported over 2 million tons of plastic waste, ranking second globally, only behind Malaysia. This importation is driven by a shortage of plastic scrap in Vietnam, as the demand for plastic materials exceeds the available domestic supply. The country's recycling industry relies on higher-quality foreign plastic scrap due to challenges in properly sorting and recycling plastic waste.

The import of plastic waste poses environmental and social challenges, and there are concerns about the inability to recycle all the imported waste. Vietnam's Law on Environmental Protection provides regulations for importing plastic waste based on environmental safety standards, but these laws are sometimes circumvented through bribes to local authorities. It is estimated that Vietnam recycles only 9-33% of imported plastic waste, and the unrecycled portion is often dumped in "unsanitary" landfills, with a portion released into the environment and oceans.

Plastic waste reduction initiatives

Vietnam is one of the top ten countries in the world for plastic pollution, with more than 8,000 tons of plastic waste generated per day. Single-use plastics (SUPs) constitute approximately 72% of all plastic waste in the country, and about 75% of solid waste, including plastics, is mismanaged or improperly disposed of, with less than 30% of plastic waste being recycled.

To address this issue, the Vietnamese government and various organizations have implemented several plastic waste reduction initiatives:

National Action Plan for Management of Marine Plastic Litter by 2030

The Vietnamese government has developed a national action plan to reduce marine plastic litter by 50% by 2025 and 75% by 2030. This plan includes measures such as an impending ban on the production and importation of plastic bags for domestic use by 2026 and most single-use plastic products by 2031.

Integrated Waste and Plastic Management (IWPM) Programme

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has supported the design and implementation of an IWPM programme in Vietnam. The programme focuses on waste characterization, research, sorting at the source, education and training, policies, and laws. It has been implemented in five cities, including Ha Long City and Quy Nhon City, and has contributed to plastic use reduction and improved waste management.

Vietnam Action Against Plastic Pollution Project

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) leads this project, which aims to prevent plastic from entering the natural environment. It creates inclusive circular economies with local and national governments, communities, and the private sector to reduce plastic pollution at its source. Vietnam enacted "Extended Producer Responsibility" (EPR) regulations in 2022, making it the first country in Southeast Asia to do so. EPR regulations hold companies responsible for the cost of disposing of their products, shifting the economic burden from the government to the producer.

Behaviour Change Initiatives

Projects in five cities have focused on behaviour change aimed at plastic use reduction. For example, three waste management models in Binh Duong have contributed to reducing 150,000 plastic straws and 72,800 plastic bags by replacing them with sustainable alternatives such as biodegradable shopping bags. Tourist boats in Quang Ninh have also committed to reducing plastic waste.

Waste Collection and Segregation

Through various programmes and projects, significant amounts of plastic waste have been collected and segregated for recycling. For example, at a pilot site in Binh Duong province, informal waste collectors collected about 65-70% of domestic waste, including plastic, paper, and other materials.

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