03/12/2019
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), on June 9, 2019 launched the National campaign on anti-plastic waste in collaboration with the Hanoi People’s Committee and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee (CYUCC).
PM Nguyễn Xuân Phúc makes his speech at the campaign launching ceremony
The launching ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister (PM) Nguyễn Xuân Phúc; Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng; President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Trần Thanh Mẫn; Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Trần Hồng Hà; Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyễn Đức Chung; the First Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh CYUCC; leaders of other Ministries, sectors and central agencies; leaders of provincial authorities, political-social organizations, corporates and international organizations; and a number of students and people.
Plastic waste has in recent years become a problem that requires urgent actions from the global community. Each year, the volume of disposed plastic wastes is enough to cover an area that fourfolds the Earth’s surface. Of the total, 13 million tons of plastic wastes are thrown away into the ocean. Plastic wastes are the major factor that hourly and daily damages the ecosystem, environment, people’s health and sustainable development of all nations.
In Việt Nam, the volume of daily-used plastic and nylon bags and packages is increasing and threatens the quality of land, water, air and ocean. Việt Nam is one of the four Asian countries with the highest volumes of plastic waste disposal - after China, Indonesia and the Philippines. It is estimated that a Vietnamese each year consumes average 30 - 40kg of plastic products. In Hà Nội and Hồ Chí Minh City - the two largest cities of the country - about 80 tons of plastic products are discharged each day. Meanwhile, the percentage of plastic bags and packages, which are not recycled and must be buried, is 5 - 8 per cent of the total, equal to 2,5 million tons each year.
PM Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and Government officials walk, demonstrating the will to fight plastic pollution
In recent years, the Party and the Government have issued many policies to strengthen the quality of plastic waste treatment and management. The Government in April 2015 issued Decree No. 38/2015/ND-CP regulating the management of wastes and scraps, under which individuals, households, organizations and companies in Việt Nam are required to gather recyclable plastic wastes from living and industrial solid wastes. The PM in May 2018 approved the amendment of the national strategy on solid waste treatment and management, which lasts to 2050. Under the national strategy, ministries and sectors are asked to complete legal policies and preferential mechanisms to encourage people, organizations and companies to reduce the amount of solid wastes and try to recycle them. The Ministries and sectors are also requested to develop a plan that increases the import tax on plastic scraps, raises the export tax on bead outputs made from plastic scraps and environmentally-harmful plastic products. Besides, Việt Nam has been working with the international community to fight plastic pollution and its consequences.
To show the commitment to the determination of the Prime Minister and the Government as well as the United Nations’ campaign on fighting plastic and nylon pollution, the MONRE in 2018 launched its “Anti-plastic waste programme” that draws the participation of other ministries, sectors, political bodies, international organizations, business associations, markets and shopping centers. At the programme launching ceremony, the PM Nguyễn Xuân Phúc called on the political system and society to act and fight plastic pollution. The PM asked secretariats of ministries and sectors, secretaries of provincial and city people’s committees, central cities, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, organizations, associations and communities to organize anti-plastic activities. Each ministry and sector must assist the Government to deliver appropriate policies to reduce the use of plastic outputs; business, political and social associations and communities, markets, supermarkets, restaurants and hotels should form an alliance that says “no” to single-use plastics like nylon bag and encourage the collection, recycling and re-use of environmentally-friendly products.
The PM also designated the MONRE to work with other ministries and government agencies to review and complete the legal framework so that the single-use plastics are reduced and advanced technologies are applied to recycle and re-use plastic wastes. Government agencies must also re-allocate small-scale, individual plastic recycling facilities into industrial parks; and they have to work to end the import and production of disposable nylon bags. Research facilities, scientists, specialists, experts and inventors were required to study new methods, solutions and technologies - which are harmless to the environment; develop new products to replace single-use plastics; participate in activities to cut the use and discharge of solid and plastic wastes, and encourage the collection and re-use of recyclable wastes; and contribute to the development of Việt Nam’s circular economy.
The Prime Minister also called for each person to start changing, with their smallest activities, to thrive to a no-plastic future. Media agencies should keep raising public awareness about the campaign and honor examples (people, organizations, companies) that do well to help the society achieve that future. He believed that, with the determination of the political system and efforts of government agencies, social organizations, business community and the people, Việt Nam would improve its achievements, fix existing problems and cut the use of plastics, driving the nation to a no-plastics future, improving the environment and preserving the nature of the Earth.
PM Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and Hanoi’s children draw a painting on environmental protection
On behalf of all provinces and cities, Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyễn Đức Chung said the capital City would organise a signing ceremony on plastic waste prevention with all manufacturers and producers. By December 31, 2020, 100 per cent of all shopping centers and supermarkets in the city would have stopped using nylon bags in their operations. The City would also raise the public awareness about the negative impacts of made-from-plastic products and single-use nylon bags on the environment, ecosystem and people’s health. It would develop and perfect the policy, which helps environmentally-friendly outputs be introduced, consumed and encourages the society and business community to join projects - in which recyclable plastics and environmentally-friendly bags and packages are produced. At the same time, the City would improve the facilitation for collecting and recycling plastic wastes, consider purchasing technologies to recycle plastic wastes and nylon bags and turn them into useful, environmentally-friendly outputs. The City authorities would carry out waste classification at the source and support companies switch from producing plastic, nylon bags to making paper, fabric bags.
The organizer of the campaign launching ceremony on the same day also honored companies and organizations - that are members to the Anti-Plastic Waste Alliance of the Retail and Consumer Sectors and are considered “Ambassadors of Anti-Plastic Campaign” - for having done their best efforts in fighting plastic pollution.
After the campaign launching ceremony, PM Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and officials marched to demonstrate their will and call for the community to help fight plastic pollution, complete the group drawing with the children of the capital City and visited the exhibition and awards for the “Change Challenge” Pictorial Contest.
Gia Linh
