Vietnam is grappling with a critical plastic waste crisis. Each year, the country generates 1.8 million tonnes of plastic waste, of which about a third ends up in the ocean. This constitutes 6 per cent of global marine plastic pollution and places it as the world’s fourth-largest marine plastic emitter. This situation not only exacerbates Vietnam’s environmental challenges but also casts a shadow over its international reputation, at a time when the nation has pledged robust commitments to sustainable development and green transition.

The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) has sought to deal with plastic waste as a “prioritised mission”, specified in Vietnam’s highest level policy documents, such as the Central Committee’s Resolution 36 on maritime economy and the Prime Minister’s Direction No 33 on tackling plastic wastes. Former Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also started a national campaign against plastic waste, the narrative often reserved for the most important political missions.

Addressing plastic waste in Vietnam involves navigating complex challenges across three primary sources: industrial production, household consumption, and imported plastic scrap. Each demands tailored policy solutions and presents different challenges.

After the amended Environmental Protection Law became effective in 2022, Vietnam became one of the first Southeast Asian countries to enforce an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy. This regulation requires producers and importers to manage their products’ full lifecycle, either through recycling or contributing to Vietnam’s Environmental Protection Fund. By January 2024, EPR will apply to tyres, batteries, motor oil, and products using plastic bags. It would apply to electronics in 2025 and vehicles in 2027.

However, the practicality of enforcing EPR within a constrained timeline remains questionable. It will first require a fundamental shift in the perception of Vietnam as a low-cost manufacturing base with lax environmental norms. This is underscored by the fact that 68 per cent of companies with foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam were found to be in violation of environmental regulations. In addition, it seems that the implementation of Vietnam’s EPR policy was brought into effect without adequate consultations with the businesses it affects. This has sparked complaints over exorbitant and impractical recycling fees.

Compounding these challenges is Vietnam’s limited recycling infrastructure, capable of processing merely a third of its total plastic waste. Consequently, the EPR policy risks becoming ineffectual — theoretically sound, yet practically unenforceable. In such a scenario, rather than advancing sustainable development, it may devolve into yet another bureaucratic impediment for businesses.