1.8 million tons of plastic waste are discharged in Vietnam every year

Only 27% of plastic waste is recycled

Nowadays, plastic products and nylon bags are common items that have become familiar in people's daily lives. The emergence of plastic and nylon products brings convenience, but it is also the factor that affects the environment.

Plastic waste drifting into the ocean will cause pollution, affecting the lives of marine creatures and furthermore directly affecting the health of each of us. It takes decades, even hundreds of years for plastic waste to decompose. Therefore, the problem of plastic waste is becoming a global problem, challenging every country.

According to Dr. Nguyen Anh Tho - Director of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Hygiene, plastic production output in Vietnam has been increasing continuously over the years.

"It is estimated that more than 1.8 million tons of plastic waste are discharged in Vietnam every year. Of that, only 27% is recycled and according to UNEP statistics, Vietnam currently ranks 4th in the world in terms of the amount of plastic waste discharged into the ocean," said Dr. Nguyen Anh Tho.

In some big cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Thanh Hoa, Binh Thuan..., the situation of plastic waste has become a headache.

According to a survey by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Vietnam and the Green Development Support Center in 2019, plastic waste accounts for 92.2% of the quantity and 64.8% of the volume of total waste collected on Vietnam's beaches.

Change behavior, say no to plastic waste

Plastic waste pollution in Vietnam is also increasing rapidly, creating major challenges for environmental management. To reduce plastic waste, the whole society needs to join hands. Without effective and timely solutions, the negative impacts of plastic waste will become increasingly serious.

The Government also pays special attention to plastic waste issues when issuing a series of decisions related to the action plan against plastic waste. In Decision No. 1746/QD-TTg dated December 4, 2019 on the National Action Plan on Ocean Plastic Waste Management to 2030, it clearly states that the goal is to reduce 50% of plastic waste by 2025 and 75% by 2030.

At the same time, five major solutions were also proposed: Propaganda, raising awareness, changing people's behavior; Collecting, classifying, transporting, and treating plastic waste along the coast and at sea; Controlling upstream plastic waste; International cooperation, scientific research, and technology transfer on plastic waste treatment; Investigation, survey, and building a mechanism for managing ocean plastic waste.

Many localities, agencies, units, educational institutions... across the country have issued many regulations, strategies, slogans, and movements with the aim of strengthening management and supervision to reduce plastic waste.