Hanoi, 10 August 2022 (TDI): According to the report of the World Bank, Vietnam is going through plastic pollution due to rapid economic growth, urbanization, and changing lifestyles.
Rapid economic growth, urbanization, and changing lifestyles in #Vietnam 🇻🇳 have led to a #PlasticPollution crisis.
New @WorldBank reports identify the sources and pathways of such pollution and propose a roadmap to address it. https://t.co/txKBABd261
— World Bank (@WorldBank) August 10, 2022
Every year, an estimated 3.1 million metric tonnes of plastic waste is dumped on land in Vietnam. At least 10% of this mismanaged waste finds its way into the waterway.
It makes Vietnam one of the top five plastic polluters of the world’s oceans. Under the business-as-usual scenario, leakage could more than double by 2030.
This World Bank study was done in response to a request from the Vietnamese government, from July 2020 to April 2021, to gain a better understanding of the various types of plastic waste leaking into rivers and the ocean in Vietnam.
According to field surveys, plastic waste accounts for the majority of waste found in the river and coastal sites. It accounts for 94% of the waste by the total number of items and 71% by weight.
The top ten most common plastic items account for more than 80% of total plastic waste leaking into waterways. More than 60% of plastics are single-use plastics.
Further, the goal of this survey was to inform government agencies, mobilize their buy-in to solve plastic waste problems, build their capacity, and foster local relationships.
Vietnam’s National Action Plan for the Management of Marine Plastic Litter by 2030 aims to reduce marine plastic litter by 50% by 2025 and 75% by 2030.
Measures for Reduction of Plastic Pollution
According to the report, some measures have been put in place, such as the impending ban on the production and importation of plastic bags for domestic use by 2026.
In addition, ban on the production and importation of most single-use plastic products by 2031. The World Bank has proposed a policy roadmap to reduce the use of single-use plastic (SUP) items.
Non-biodegradable plastic bags, expanded polystyrene (EPS) food containers, and plastic straws are the top three items. Other items include those used in the food take-away, catering and tourism industries.
