Vietnamese throw away 54 kilograms of plastic waste yearly

Residents collect plastic waste along Côn Đảo Beach in southern Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province. — VNA/VNS Photo 

 HÀ NỘI — As the amount of plastic waste from Vietnamese is rising quickly, many projects are being tested here in collaboration with international organisations to reduce plastic waste.

One of these projects is called “Rethink Plastic – Circular Economy Solutions to Marine Litter,” organised in collaboration with the European Union, GIZ and Expertise France to reduce plastic waste in the ocean and head towards a circular economy.

In the review seminar of the project on Thursday, partners of the project presented results regarding policy making and outcomes of test projects in HCM City, Hà Nội and Phú Yên.

These test projects focused on researching and implementing solutions to the plastic waste problem and improving the collection, sorting and recycling of plastic waste inland and near ports.

The projects’ initial outcomes have helped improve the current circumstances in the aforementioned areas and contributed to policy recommendations.

“Rethink Plastic” helped policymakers build protocols that improve the management of plastic waste, as well as sustainable production and consumption of plastic and ways to deal with plastic waste in the ocean. A notable project helped build the legal framework for the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the necessary information and guidelines on EPR.

“The ocean is currently facing never-before-seen threats due to the effects of global warming, as well as unsustainable acts of resources exploitation, pollution and reduction of the oceanic ecosystem,” said Hoàng Xuân Huy, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE).

The United Nations warned that plastic waste had reached the deepest part of the ocean, and humanity must act swiftly.

“It is one of our priorities to contribute to the global effort to solve this problem,” said Huy.

Every year, 11 million tonnes of plastic waste are discharged into the ocean worldwide, with 150 million tonnes currently in the ocean, disrupting the food chain of oceanic lifeforms. 75 per cent of current plastic-based products will become waste in the future.

Plastic waste pollution is also negatively affecting the economy, with the costs reaching US$1.3 billion yearly, comprising of greenhouse gas costs, health costs and waste management.

Việt Nam is currently one of the countries discharging plastic waste into the ocean. Plastic consumption in Việt Nam has been rising quickly, from 3.8 kg per person in 1990 to 54 kg per person in 2018.

Vietnamese consumption of plastic products comes primarily from packaging with 57 per cent and appliances with 29 per cent. 80 per cent of plastic waste in Việt Nam comes from inland, and only 20 per cent comes from fisheries.

As Việt Nam is committed to solving plastic waste, the country has legalised many aspects of the solution to these problems, and the government have set a goal to reduce plastic waste in the ocean by 2030.

“Plastic waste affects all of us,” said Astrid Schomaker, Director-General of Green Diplomacy and Multilateralism at the European Union. “We need to reach for a circular economy, an economy where resources are properly and sustainably managed.

“I am impressed with what project ‘Rethink Plastic’ has achieved. Through the project, we have collaborated closely with government agencies of Việt Nam to share our experiences and help Việt Nam alleviate the threat of plastic waste in the ocean.

“We hope that these activities can open up new ideas and policies that help reduce waste, improve the quality of recycling, and support the procedures that are related to the design, transport, distribution, consumption, management and handling of plastic waste in Việt Nam.” — VNS