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Current Status of Plastic Waste Pollution and Management in Vietnam: Challenges and Opportunities Toward a Circular Economy
Summary
Vietnam is one of the world's top contributors to ocean plastic pollution, and this review paper takes stock of how the country produces and manages plastic waste, along with the laws in place to fix it. Poorly managed plastic waste doesn't just harm the environment — it breaks down into microplastics that can enter our water, food, and eventually our bodies, making better waste management a public health issue as much as an environmental one. The paper argues that shifting toward a "circular economy" (reusing and recycling materials instead of tossing them) offers a path forward, though real progress will depend on stronger policies and enforcement.
Plastic materials are very popular all over the world. However, the increasing levels of production have not increased in parallel with the management and mitigation to prevent plastic waste from contaminating the environment. As a result, plastic waste (PW) is a major component of freshwater and coastal pollution. Plastic pollution is a growing global issue. Vietnam is one of five ASEAN countries belonging to the top 10 countries of the world that have mismanagement of plastic waste. Consequently, this has serious impacts on the environment. To cope with this problem, so far, Vietnam has issued a legal framework and the related policies aiming at the better management of its plastic waste. This chapter presents the current status of plastic waste generation and management in Vietnam through analyzing data and information from government reports, academic research articles, public media, on-site surveys, as well as reviewing Vietnam’s associated legal framework and policies to highlight some critical issues, assessing challenges and opportunities in moving towards a circular economy. These results will help to identify suitable strategies for policymakers and research opportunities for future researchers in plastic waste management towards the circular economy.