28/10/2021
On 22nd July 2021, Deputy Prime Minister Lê Văn Thành signed Decision No. 1316/QĐ-TTg approving the Scheme for strengthening plastic waste management in Việt Nam.
The Scheme's objective is to strengthen plastic waste management from the Central to local levels, contributing to the successful implementation of the National Strategy for Integrated Solid Waste Management up to 2025, with a vision to 2050 approved by the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 491/QĐ-TTg dated 7th May 2018; the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 1746/QĐ-TTg dated 4th December 2019 on the National Action Plan for Ocean Plastic Waste Management; the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 33/CT-TTg dated 20th August 2020 on strengthening management of reuse, recycling, treatment and reduction of plastic waste. Also, contribute to developing a circular economy model in Việt Nam with the orientation of reducing the use of single-use plastic products and non-biodegradable plastic bags; enhance reuse, recycling, and treatment of plastic waste. To 2025, strive to use 100% environmentally friendly plastic bags, packaging in commercial centres, supermarkets in daily life instead of non-biodegradable plastic bags; ensure the collection, reuse, recycling and treatment of 85% of the generated plastic waste; reduce 50% of plastic waste in the sea and ocean; 100% of tourist resorts, tourist accommodation establishments, hotels do not use non-degradable plastic bags and single-use plastic products; gradually reduce the production and use of non-degradable plastic bags and single-use plastic products in daily life.
To achieve the above objective, the Scheme proposes solution tasks:
Survey and assess the state of plastic waste generation, collection and treatment and perfect policies and regulations on plastic waste management, including: Overall assessment of the current situation of production and use of plastic products and environmentally friendly products, single-use plastic products and non-biodegradable plastic bags; Situation of production and import of products and goods containing microplastics and the impact of microplastics on the environment; Current status of plastic waste generation, collection, recycling, and treatment and proposed solutions to improve management efficiency; Survey, statistics, classification and assessment of the situation of generating, collecting, treating and managing plastic waste from activities on seas and islands of Việt Nam; Implementation of tax collection activities for import and export of plastic products; Collection of environmental protection tax for the production of non-biodegradable plastic bags...
Implement communication activities to raise awareness about the harmful effects of products derived from plastic, plastic bags. The Scheme clearly states: Implement training, communication and international cooperation activities on plastic waste management, in which, promote training and communication activities to raise awareness about the harmful effects of plastic products, plastic bags and single-use plastic products to the environment, ecosystems and human health; raise awareness, change the habit of using single-use plastic products and non-biodegradable plastic bags to using environmentally friendly products. Propagate and mobilize enterprises producing and distributing single-use plastic products and non-degradable plastic bags to switch to producing and distributing environmentally friendly products; organize training, raise awareness and change the behaviour of discharging plastic waste, fishing gear and waste plastic products into the sea and ocean environment for businesses, coastal residents, fishers, sailors and tourists...
Produce environmentally friendly products through technology research and application, model deployment, plastic waste management activities. Specifically, plan and implement consistently across the country the model of shopping centres and supermarkets that do not use plastic bags or use environmentally friendly plastic bags instead of non-biodegradable plastic bags; establish and expand waste recycling organization models and movements against plastic waste. Also, research and apply advanced and modern technologies in plastic waste collection, recycling and treatment; technology to recycle plastic waste into fuel, building and transport materials, and other plastic products. Increase investment and develop technology to produce environmentally friendly products to replace plastic products; research, design, manufacture optimal plastic packaging and products to minimize the norm of plastic materials/products...
Also, according to Decision No. 1316/QĐ-TTg, Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Government’s agencies, Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities, within the scope of their management responsibilities, actively plan and implement tasks according to the functions and tasks assigned by the Government; send annual reports on implementation results to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for summarizing and reporting to the Prime Minister.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall assume the prime responsibility for summarizing, evaluating, inspecting and supervising the implementation of the Scheme nationwide; Review, research, propose to promulgate or promulgate according to its competence regulations on plastic waste management; Research and propose a roadmap to limit the production and import of single-use plastic products, non-biodegradable plastic packaging and products and goods containing microplastics in the Decree detailing a number of articles of the Law on Environmental Protection; Research, develop and issue regulations or guidelines for the implementation of environmental regulations in the production of products and goods containing microplastics and environmentally friendly plastic bags; Monitor and evaluate the current status of plastic waste in a number of main estuaries, coastal areas, and front islands with potential for tourist and marine economic development...
Nguyệt Minh
(Source: Vietnam Environment Administration Magazine, English Edition III - 2021)
