Government sets major goals for plastic waste control

Decision 1316/QD-TTg signed by Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh on July 22, also mandates the recycling and treatment of 85 percent of all plastic waste and a 50-percent reduction of maritime plastic waste.

Supermarkets are promoting the use of environmentally friendly packaging

The program aims to gradually cut the production and consumption of non-biodegradable plastic bags and single-use plastic products in daily life while raising awareness among organizations, enterprises and the community of the harmful effects of these items to the environment, ecosystem and human health.

In accordance with the plan, the industry and trade sector will get manufacturers to minimize the plastic content of products as well as plastic products, increase the use of recycled plastic materials, encourage producers, supermarkets, retail stores and other trade centers to join plastic waste control activities, promote trade center, market and supermarket models that do not use non-biodegradable plastic bags and single-use plastic products. The ministry will also suggest policies to develop production and consumption of recycled plastic products, and plastic production using plastic scrap suited to environmental protection. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) will also work with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in assessing the demand for domestic and imported plastic scraps as raw materials for production.

MoIT Directive 08/CT-BCT dated July 15, 2019 on plastic waste minimization in the industry and trade sector set out plans for implementing the 2021-2030 national action program on sustainable production and consumption, promoting environmental protection initiatives to reduce plastic waste, and gradually replacing non-biodegradable plastic bags with environmentally friendly products through education and improved public awareness.

Since 2019, numerous retail systems, trade centers, supermarkets and large enterprises across the country, including AEON Vietnam, BigC, MM Mega Market, Vinmart, and Vinamilk, have been using environmentally friendly food packaging. Organizations and businesses in the industry and trade sector have minimized the use of plastic bottled water in meetings, and are promoting production of substitutes for single-use plastic packaging.