Public-private cooperation crucial for plastic waste treatment

At a seminar on public-private cooperation in coping with plastic waste, held in HCMC on June 5, Phuong cited United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres as saying that more than eight million tons of plastic waste goes into the ocean each year. With this volume, the sea will have more plastic waste than fish by 2050.

Vietnam is one of the five countries that discharge the largest amount of plastic waste into the ocean. Meanwhile, technologies employed for plastic waste treatment are outdated, and the collection and classification of waste have been as inefficient as ever, Phuong added.

To handle the problem, cooperation between authorities, enterprises and the public is needed. The Government has worked out three main strategies: reforming the legal system, diversifying investment sources for environmental protection and developing the economy through green growth strategy.

Meanwhile, enterprises have presented several ideas, including using bamboo straws instead of plastic ones and banana leaves to wrap vegetables at supermarkets. In addition, some enterprises, such as An Phat Holdings, have produced decomposable bags from corn starch.

Albert T. Lieberg, representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Vietnam, said environmental pollution caused by plastic waste is a serious issue in Asia. Some 60% of plastic waste discharged to the sea mainly comes from six Asian countries, including Vietnam.

Vietnam annually produces some 1.8 million tons of plastic waste, Lieberg noted, adding that the Government, enterprises and the people should join hands to reduce the plastic waste volume.

He also proposed the Vietnamese Government issue policies to recycle plastic waste and reduce the use of disposable plastic utensils.

Private firms should apply business models that produce the least amount of plastic waste possible and must take responsibility if they cause environmental pollution.

Lieberg also encouraged consumers to use environmentally-friendly products and limit the use of disposable plastic utensils.