Increasing awareness in plastic waste management for private sector in Viet Nam

The workshop is part of the “Increasing awareness in plastic waste management” project funded by PepsiCo Foundation, through Give2Asia, and is implemented by CED in collaboration with partners in Vietnam to implement from January 2020 to June 2022.

The workshop focuses on three main objectives: i) Providing information to SMEs about the impact of plastic waste pollution and solutions to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic products. ii) Shaping a world where plastics need never become waste by raising awareness and new consumer behaviors through initiatives in collecting, treating and recycling plastic waste; iii) Discussing more specific policies on EPR and the roles of business associations based on the newly revised Law on Environmental Protection passed by the National Assembly in November 2020.

In the workshop, the experts provided a lot of information on the current status, potentials, policy and role of the businesses circular economy in Viet Nam, the Government programs and activities to engage businesses to reduce plastic waste to the environment, requirements in the new environmental protection law on plastic waste management and its impacts on businesses and proposing plastic waste collection models for enterprises and communities.

VCCI Director of Legal and Compliance Department Dau Anh Tuan shared: "Viet Nam's legal framework on environmental protection is getting better and better. There is an increasing requirement for recycling, collection, and treatment responsibilities for SMEs. It is very important to thoroughly understand legal regulations, prepare technology conditions, and implement appropriate plans. SMEs need to actively participate in contributing ideas to make these regulations suitable and feasible".

Before that, also within the framework of this project, on the November 6^th, 2020 project kick-off at the Vietnam National Economics University, which trained 35 young Vietnamese environmental leaders who came from universities and colleges in Hanoi city, aiming to create next environmental leaders to strengthen plastic recycling education in communities, enhance young people’s awareness of single-use plastic waste and inspire more sustainable behavior changes, particularly focusing on students and youths.

According to Sudipto Mozumdar, General Manager of PepsiCo Vietnam:"At PepsiCo, we are working to accelerate our sustainability efforts across our entire business, from how we grow our food and make our products, to how we inspire positive change in our communities. PepsiCo shares the concern over the growing threat that packaging waste poses to our communities and marine environment, and we’re striving to build a world where plastics need never become waste. No single organization or industry can solve the plastic waste challenge on their own. That’s why we’re working with our peers, competitors, and other industry leaders through initiatives like these workshops with SMEs to educate and actively empower consumers for sustainable plastic management".