Supporting local initiatives on solid waste management and Extended Producer Responsibility development in Viet Nam
Hoi An, December 16, 2024 – ϲʿֱֳ, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, organizes a closing workshop to review the 4-year partnership between ϲʿֱֳ and Packaging Recycling Organisation (PRO) Viet Nam in Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province.
In June 2020, ϲʿֱֳ and PRO Viet Nam signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), followed by a Strategic Partnership Agreement. The main goal is to develop field pilot projects focusing on the circular economy, with three key components including (i) Develop and implement pilot local initiatives in plastic waste management, particularly in the context of the circular economy; (ii) Promote good practices and share lessons learnt for policy intervention; and (iii) Build capacity for businesses.
The 2020 Viet Nam Law on Environmental Protection (LEP), which came into force in January 2021, includes new regulations on solid waste management. , effective from 1st Jan 2022, stipulated that municipal solid waste from households and individuals must be separated into food waste, reusable and recyclable solid waste, and other waste. stipulates that households and individuals must pay based on the weight and volume of their waste by 1 January 2025.
During 2020 - 2024, the project has achieved some positive outcomes in improving solid waste management, especially plastic waste management in Viet Nam in general and Hoi An City in particular. Key results include the successful pilot of four field projects in Hoi An namely: (i) Solid waste separation at sources; (ii), Volume-based Waste Fee (VBWF); (iii) Businesses taking action to reduce plastic waste in Hoi An, and (iv) The establishment of the Material Recycling Facility (MRFs) to support organic waste separation.
Among these, ϲʿֱֳ and PRO Viet Nam - funded pilot VBWF programme in Cam Nam Ward, Hoi An city with technical support from the local NGO, Building Up Sustainability (BUS) was approved by Hoi An City People's Committee to be scaled up in Hoi An city upon Decision No. 135/TB-UBND given positive results of the intial pilot program. In December 2024, the programme has been honored to receive the second prize in the contest “Green Solutions for Circular Economy and Sustainable Development” organised by Communications Center on Natural Resources and Environment, MONRE in Da Nang.
The project has made significant contributions to the development of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) articles in the 2020 Environmental Protection Law and its rollout, in close collaboration with Legal Department of MONRE.
Five main studies were conducted including (i) a waste audit in Hoi An; (ii) pilot VBWF’s pre and post-implementation waste audit in Hoi An and proposal development for approval; (iii) an analysis of plastic scrap export & import in Viet Nam; (iv) recommendations on the role of Informal Waste Workers (IWWs) in Ho Chi Minh City in EPR implementation; (v) developing a proposal requesting MONRE through VEPF to provide financial support for treating domestic solid waste in Hoi An City. A series of capacity-building activities were organised focusing on EPR and plastic waste management.
In Hoi An, the project handed over 100 3-comparment-trash bins made from 2,500kg of low value plastic waste and 54 green houses made from recycled materials to Hoi An city and the Women's Union. A range of communications activities were implemented to raise awareness about solid waste separation at sources and promote public participation in waste management.
To summarise the project activities for four years, ϲʿֱֳ organises the project closing meeting in Hoi An to discuss the results of VBWF pilot programme in Cam Nam, Hoi An with next steps; report on integrating IWWs in Ho Chi Minh City into the EPR system; contributions for EPR implementation in 2025; report on plastic scrap export-import 2018 – 2022. The meeting welcomes the local authorities in Hoi An, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Hoi An Women Union, IWWs in Hoi An, businesses, local NGOs and the media.
After four years, the project results have contributed to promoting the local initiatives on solid waste management in Hoi An and supporting EPR development and implementation. It is hoped that these results will be widely shared and scaled up in other provinces of Viet Nam.