With ty le keo 7m consistent view that economic development must go together with environmental protection, over ty le keo 7m time, ty le keo 7m Government has issued and is continuing to improve ty le keo 7m system of mechanisms and policies on environmental protection, promoting ty le keo 7m collection, sorting, recycling, reuse of solid waste, towards building a circular economy in Vietnam.
However, like many countries in ty le keo 7m world, Vietnam is facing a huge challenge due to environmental pollution and climate change, especially ty le keo 7m emerging problems of solid waste in general and plastic waste pollution at alarming level in particular. According to incomplete statistics, each Vietnamese family usually uses 5-7 plastic bags for a day, including big bags, small bags and micro-bags,… Thus, millions of plastic bags are used and discharged into ty le keo 7m environment every day. ty le keo 7m habit of using these products daily is polluting ty le keo 7m environment and affecting human health.
In order to proactively provide information about ty le keo 7m situation of plastic waste pollution, highlight ty le keo 7m policies and solutions to fight with plastic waste of ty le keo 7m Government in ty le keo 7m coming time, acknowledge proposals and recommendations from ty le keo 7m citizens, enterprises and managers around this issue, on November 14, ty le keo 7m Government E-Portal held a talkshow about “Against plastic waste”.
Guests of ty le keo 7m talkshow:
Mr. Vo Tuan Nhan, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment
Prof. Dr. Dang Thi Kim Chi, President of Science and Technology Council, Vietnam Association of Nature and Environment Protection
Ms. Tran Thanh Phuong, Deputy Director of Business Department, representative of An Phat Holdings
Journalist Hoang Quoc Dung of Tien Phong Newspaper
Content of ty le keo 7m talkshow:
Recently, ty le keo 7m Government has issued many mechanisms and policies on environmental protection in general, including promoting ty le keo 7m collection, sorting, recycling, and reuse of plastic waste. Would you please share about solutions as well as initial results achieved?
Mr. Vo Tuan Nhan: ty le keo 7m Government has clearly seen ty le keo 7m harms of plastic waste and disposable nylon bags. In 2011, ty le keo 7m Government submitted to ty le keo 7m Congress for approval of ty le keo 7m Law on Environmental Protection Tax, which stipulates that non-eco-friendly plastic bags are one of ty le keo 7m subjects subjected to tax. In 2012, ty le keo 7m Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued Circulars 07 regulating that eco-friendly plastic bags are exclude from taxes and are labeled as green. In 2013, ty le keo 7m Prime Minister approved ty le keo 7m project “Strengthening environmental pollution control for plastic waste and plastic bags”. After that, ministries,departments and localities conducted many activities such as national and international scientific conferences, training courses, advocacy to people and taking impacts on environmental pollution control for plastic bags. In 2018, ty le keo 7m Prime Minister approved a national adjustment strategy for integrated solid waste management, which specifies ty le keo 7m roadmap and control methods for plastic waste and plastic bags. In October 2018, under ty le keo 7m direct guidance of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, ty le keo 7m Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment held a launching ceremony of ty le keo 7m national movement against plastic waste. In April 2019, ty le keo 7m Prime Minister sent a letter to local authorities, enterprises and residents throughout ty le keo 7m country to call for “ty le keo 7m whole country join hands to fight against plastic waste and plastic bags”. Especially, on June 9, ty le keo 7m Prime Minister directly commanded and participated in calling ty le keo 7m whole country to fight against plastic waste.
ty le keo 7m Vietnam Fatherland Front and ty le keo 7m Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment met with 14 religious organizations throughout ty le keo 7m country to discuss about environmental protection and climate change response, focusing on ty le keo 7m fight against plastic waste and plastic bags. ty le keo 7m Ministry of Education and Training called all schools, urged students to join ty le keo 7m movement to fight against plastic waste and plastic bags. ty le keo 7m Youth Union constantly acted, not propagating anymore. Local authorities, where had plastic waste stated by ty le keo 7m mass media, took immediate measures to handle. Enterprises combined to form alliances against plastic waste. For example, ty le keo 7m Vietnam Plastic Packaging Alliance, initially with 12 large corporations formed. ty le keo 7m Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment signed a commitment with this alliance. Currently, ty le keo 7m alliance has grown in number of members.
As an enterprise that produces eco-friendly plastic products, would you like to share some information about ty le keo 7m production situation as well as ty le keo 7m requirements of Vietnamese and ty le keo 7m world market with these products?
Ms. Tran Thanh Phuong: With a clear operating principle, we are striving to become ty le keo 7m leading enterprise in high-tech and environmentally-friendly plastics in South East Asia. With a production ecosystem of more than 13 member companies and more than 19 factories, we are focusing on 6 key areas: Packaging solutions; 100% compostable materials and environmentally friendly products; high-tech and environmentally friendly building materials; high-tech plastic; precision mold; industrial real estate. An Phat Holdings affirmed its position in ty le keo 7m world market with total revenue of 2019 reaching VND 12,000 billion (more than 50% of revenue came from export markets). An Phat Holdings also affirmed its name through important markets in ty le keo 7m world, such as USA, Europe, Japan, …
100% compostable and eco-friendly materials is one of our focus fields. This is an important step of An Phat Holdings. ty le keo 7m trend of ty le keo 7m world is gradually shifting to environmentally friendly products, which replace traditional plastic bags lasting from 200 to 500 years to decay completely. An Phat Holdings is offering solutions which have better impact on ty le keo 7m environment, such as 100% compostable bags. Products of An Phat Holdings are 100% compostable in normal conditions from 6 months to a year into humus, water and CO2.
In Vietnam, ty le keo 7m growth rate of ty le keo 7m plastic industry is increasing according to ty le keo 7m requirements of ty le keo 7m residents. ty le keo 7m plastic packaging industry accounts for 35% of ty le keo 7m total, revenue from this industry is about 15 billion USD per year. Therefore, according to a statement from ty le keo 7m Government, in 2025, Vietnam will ban all disposable plastic bags. This means that we need a solution for replacement products and An Phat Holdings is providing this solution.
Overall, ty le keo 7m habit of using disposable plastic products is still popular among ty le keo 7m majority of residents. From ty le keo 7m perspective of an expert, how do you think about ty le keo 7m alarming level of plastic pollution in Vietnam?
Ms. Dang Thi Kim Chi: Collecting, recycling, reuse and handling of persistent plastic products and disposable plastic bags in Vietnam are still challenging. Incomplete treatment and bad management lead to harms to ty le keo 7m environment and affect human health. We know that, in nature, hard-to-break plastic products, plastic bags can survive for several hundred years. This existence will affect ty le keo 7m composition of soil and water. If plastic bags are treated by heat, there will be a lot of toxic gas released to ty le keo 7m human body. Using plastic bags in daily activities as a habit has led to increasing plastic waste. In Hanoi, every day people emit 5,000 tons of garbage, of which about 7% -8% are nylon or persistent plastic products. This situation warns us that if we do not see ty le keo 7m harmful effects of plastic bags and plastic waste, not only our generation but also ty le keo 7m next generation will suffer heavy consequences.
Would you like to share more about Ms. Dang Thi Kim Chi’s warning about ty le keo 7m alarming situation of plastic pollution nowadays?
Mr. Hoang Quoc Dung: I would like to add that solving ty le keo 7m environmental problem, including pollution of persistent plastic waste, does not seem to go together with social – economy development. For example, Bac Ninh Province is ty le keo 7m smallest Province in Vietnam but has a huge attraction for foreign investment (US $ 18 billion), all of ty le keo 7m industries are high-tech. However, if anyone goes on Highway 18 from Hanoi to Quang Ninh, through Bac Ninh, ty le keo 7m first image we see is two huge mountains of garbage. As far as we know, ty le keo 7m stronger ty le keo 7m economic development, ty le keo 7m greater ty le keo 7m level of plastic waste used there. This is related to ty le keo 7m intervention to minimize ty le keo 7m use of persistent plastic products.
We seem to stop at ty le keo 7m level of propaganda, but in action or perception, it is difficult to change. For example: In Vietnam, there is a special feature that we ‘wear plastic on ty le keo 7m head’. However, there is a large number of helmets we wear that do not meet ty le keo 7m standard. Usage time of these helmets is very low. Disposing unused helmets leads to a double problem.
We have issued a series of policies but we have not had ty le keo 7m statistics about ty le keo 7m effectiveness of these policies. So what is ty le keo 7m validity of these policies? If we do not solve plastic waste problem well, it shows that we are lacking of readiness, at ty le keo 7m same time, it is also a test of ty le keo 7m management efficiency of national management authorities.
How do you assess ty le keo 7m situation of increasing plastic waste and ty le keo 7m risk of environmental pollution due to plastic waste today?
Mr. Vo Tuan Nhan: Along with ty le keo 7m process of industrialization, urbanization and human activities, ty le keo 7m amount of plastic waste and disposable plastic bags is increasing. We all know that plastic products take hundreds or even thousands of years to decompose. Many products after being thrown away disintegrate into very small pieces of plastic, together with micro particles of plastic mixed with food and drinking water, directly affecting human health, ecosystems, especially marine ecosystem.
It is estimated that plastic and plastic bags account for about 6-8% of total domestic solid waste. Accordingly, a large amount of plastic waste and plastic bags are released into ty le keo 7m environment, increasing a serious threat to ty le keo 7m environment of soil, water and air if not collected and treated thoroughly. In addition, plastic waste and plastic bags enter ty le keo 7m inland flow system and are transported to ty le keo 7m river then sea, decaying into small pieces. So, marine organisms can swallow them, affecting respiration or ty le keo 7m digestive system, or entering ty le keo 7m food chain, being a threat to ty le keo 7m environment and ecosystem.
Plastic waste is increasing, especially from ty le keo 7m use of disposable plastic products and persistent plastic bags. ty le keo 7m plastic bags waste is mainly treated by landfilling because ty le keo 7m recollecting value for recycling is low. Disposable plastic waste and plastic bags, if not well controlled, will adversely affect ty le keo 7m living environment.
Clearly, plastic waste pollution has become an alarming problem and plastic waste disposal is extremely urgent. Dear Ms. Dang Thi Kim Chi, we have had a lot of policies restricting ty le keo 7m use of disposable plastic products, however, are these policies not strong enough, do you have any suggestions in ty le keo 7m future?
Ms. Dang Thi Kim Chi: From current situation and research activities, I propose to promote ty le keo 7m propaganda to consumers. So, they voluntarily reduce ty le keo 7m use of persistent plastic bags, actively change these bags by using compostable plastic bags (biological materials, bamboo, paper, wood,…) to reduce consumption, leading to reduced waste. This is a very important factor.
In addition, it is necessary to proceed to ban ty le keo 7m use of persistent plastic products and disposable thin plastic bags. There are some ideas that doing so will cause confusion, not enough substitutes, pushing manufacturing enterprises into difficulties. But when it is banned, enterprises, residents and society must be forced to find new and environmentally friendly alternatives.
Another solution is to minimize ty le keo 7m generation of this type of waste, conduct recycling, and reuse in forms that are beneficial to ty le keo 7m environment. For example: Mechanically recycling nylon bag products into asphalt, chairs, fences, like some foreign countries do. Higher is ty le keo 7m chemical method, or ty le keo 7m method of heat decomposition treatment, taking advantage of ty le keo 7m heat of plastic waste in cement kilns, taking that heat to compensate for ty le keo 7m fuels we are using today.
At ty le keo 7m same time, it is necessary to apply ty le keo 7m improvement of good, new and most convenient science and technology. So, ty le keo 7m production process produces ty le keo 7m least persistent plastic waste. Researching ty le keo 7m technological process for producing biodegradable products such as bioplastics, bamboo,… These studies need to quickly apply to life.
ty le keo 7m last problem is about ty le keo 7m market economy. Plastic bags are very cheap, while new and environmentally friendly products are expensive. Measures must be taken to support ty le keo 7m economy against ty le keo 7m threat of widespread plastic waste; encourage ty le keo 7m production of eco-friendly products; heavily tax ty le keo 7m organizations that generate much waste; tax ty le keo 7m consumers …
From ty le keo 7m perspective of an enterprise, do you agree with ty le keo 7m view that it is necessary to supplement and strongly increase economic tools to adjust consumption behavior in an environmentally friendly way? Do you have any specific suggestions on this?
Ms. Tran Thanh Phuong: ty le keo 7m adjustment of consumer behavior needs multi-dimensional coordination. I strongly agree with Professor Kim Chi’s opinion that we need to focus on advocacy and knowledge provision for consumers. When they are knowledgeable, they are confident enough to turn their choices into a new consumption habit. It is necessary to make ty le keo 7m market be able to meet ty le keo 7m substitutes, because when ty le keo 7m perception changes and ty le keo 7m market follows, it will not have much value.
ty le keo 7m trend of environmentally friendly consumption is often expensive. Clearly, when we have to invest short-term money to gain long-term benefits that are difficult to measure, indirectly related to human health and environmental protection, if people’s awareness is not sufficient enough, it will not be possible to form a new consumption habit.
In order to help environmentally friendly products reach ty le keo 7m market and compete, ty le keo 7m market size and social awareness must be large enough. In addition to ty le keo 7m tools of policy and management institutions, economic tools are also needed to change consumer behaviors. I recommend having 2 groups of tools: Firstly, products that are harmful to ty le keo 7m environment such as disposable plastic bags, plastic, we need to apply stronger taxes and fees on these products. Secondly, ty le keo 7m group of economic tools is to support and reduce taxes for enterprises and consumers who choose environmentally friendly products. Besides, ty le keo 7m Government should consider increasing subsidies, funding, and promoting funds to help enterprises produce environmentally friendly products.
Could you tell us ty le keo 7m taxable objects and environmental protection tax rates for persistent plastic bags now?
Mr. Vo Tuan Nhan: ty le keo 7m Government has submitted to ty le keo 7m Congress for approval of ty le keo 7m Law on Environmental Protection Tax (effective from 1 January, 2012). ty le keo 7m law states that eco-friendly plastic bags are one of ty le keo 7m subjects that are subject to environmental protection tax. ty le keo 7m Government also continued to propose to ty le keo 7m Congress to raise ty le keo 7m environmental protection tax rate for persistent plastic bags in Resolution No. 579/2018/UBTVQH14 on 26 September, 2018 of ty le keo 7m Congress Standing Committee (raise ty le keo 7m tax rate from VND 40,000/kg to VND 50,000/kg).
In ty le keo 7m coming time, ty le keo 7m Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will continue to coordinate with ty le keo 7m Ministry of Finance to evaluate ty le keo 7m effectiveness of environmental protection tax policies so as to have economic solutions and tools for enterprises which produce disposable plastic items and persistent plastic bags.
From a consumer perspective, do you support ty le keo 7m proposal to increase ty le keo 7m economic tools to combat plastic waste? Do you have any specific suggestions to change ty le keo 7m current consumption habits of people from using plastic bags, convenient plastic products to using environmentally friendly plastic products with higher prices?
Mr. Hoang Quoc Dung: It’s time we need to use strong economic tools, physical strength besides communication and propaganda. We have to change our minds and impose economy on consumption more than production. ty le keo 7m habit of users for decades has been difficult to change, unless there is a certain level of economic sanctions. For example, it is possible to tax at supermarkets and establishments that use persistent plastic bags instead of encouraging them. Or ty le keo 7m neighborhood has 6 socio-political organizations, must apply ty le keo 7m economic mechanism in ty le keo 7m residential area is to limit ty le keo 7m generation of plastic waste. ty le keo 7m tax for manufacturers of disposable plastic must be higher.
Regarding to ty le keo 7m shift of consumer habits, this is a big issue of communication. Habit is a category of morality. Changing morality cannot be quick, so, using communication to change habits (actually changing morality), is not enough. ty le keo 7m process of changing routines is often jump-taking, over a long period of time to change habits. But there’s still ty le keo 7m sudden jump, that’s what we need. I propose this sudden jump is firstly an exemplary factor. For example, senior leaders say how to handle garbage at home. Or in big events like ty le keo 7m matches of ty le keo 7m Vietnamese football team, we put ty le keo 7m message about fighting plastic waste to impact on ty le keo 7m masses, instead of talking in documents,… it will gradually form a habit.
Please let us know your opinion about ty le keo 7m importance of communication activities against plastic waste?
Mr. Vo Tuan Nhan: Communication on raising awareness against plastic waste is very important. ty le keo 7m Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment regularly cooperates with ministries, departments and local authorities to organize many seminars to share, communicate and propaganda about ty le keo 7m harmful effects of ty le keo 7m persistent disposable plastic bags, encouraging ty le keo 7m community to strengthen to reuse plastic bags, use more eco-friendly products like biodegradable plastic bags.
In order to spread plastic waste management activities, ty le keo 7m Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has launched a nationwide “Against plastic waste” movement (Official Letter 5539/BTNMT-TTTNMT on 10 October, 2018) in order to call for direct participation of community, encourage consumers to stop ty le keo 7m behavior or habit of using persistent plastic bags, disposable plastic, encourage ty le keo 7m use of compostable, recyclable products and eco-friendly products; call for enterprises, supermarkets and shopping centers to use new eco-friendly materials to replace disposable plastic products.
Specially, on 9 June, 2019, in Hanoi, ty le keo 7m Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment collaborated with ty le keo 7m Central Committee of Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and Hanoi People’s Committee to organize a nationwide launching ceremony of “Movement against plastic waste”. At ty le keo 7m ceremony, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc called for ty le keo 7m business community to improve social responsibility, join hands to combat plastic waste, actively participate in ty le keo 7m classification, recollecting, recycling, reuse of plastic bags, disposable plastic products; stores, supermarkets, restaurants, resorts, services, hotels,… do not use plastic bags, disposable plastic products; encourage consumers to bring their own packagings, reusable bags and use eco-friendly products. It is necessary to set high political determination, and strive, by 2021, stores, markets, supermarkets in urban areas will not use disposable plastic. By 2025, ty le keo 7m country will not use disposable plastic.
ty le keo 7m Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment held a Signing Ceremony to participate in ty le keo 7m movement “Against plastic waste” with representatives of socio-political organizations, supermarkets, enterprises, non-governmental organizations; coordinated with news agencies and newspapers to promote propaganda about ty le keo 7m risk of plastic pollution in order to change habits, proceed to abandon ty le keo 7m habit of using plastic bags and disposable plastic products of people. With ty le keo 7m carried-out activities, ty le keo 7m eco-friendly plastic bags and products that replaced ty le keo 7m disposable plastic products were gradually gaining a position in ty le keo 7m market, especially in supermarkets and large shopping centers across ty le keo 7m country (Big C, Fivi Mart, Aeon, Coop mart, Vinmart, Maximart,…)
Through researching export markets, what do you share about ty le keo 7m experience in combating plastic waste in other countries, especially ty le keo 7m policies for enterprises that produce eco-friendly alternatives?
Ms. Tran Thanh Phuong: An Phat Holdings has conducted thorough research on ty le keo 7m policy of banning and restricting disposable plastic products in export markets. These prohibitions or restrictions are on many different levels but most of them affect last consumers. We also study and find that just policies that prohibit or restrict taxation are not effective enough to change consumer behavior. ty le keo 7m problem is that we have to offer accessible substitutes for consumers.
For enterprises that are producing eco-friendly alternatives such as An Phat Holdings, a large investment in technology is required, while ty le keo 7m cost of input materials for ty le keo 7m production of self-decomposed plastic products is very high. That is why substitutes are hard for consumers to reach.
Through ty le keo 7m sharing of enterprises, please let us know your opinion before proposing that ty le keo 7m Government should have more policies to support enterprises to change production technology in an environmentally friendly way towards building circular economy in Vietnam?
Mr. Vo Tuan Nhan: ty le keo 7m management of plastic waste and plastic bags is a matter that should be done in drastically, regular, synchronous and unified way with ty le keo 7m cooperation of many departments, residents, enterprises and ty le keo 7m society. ty le keo 7m Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment supports and is reviewing policies to support ty le keo 7m conversion of production of disposable and persistent plastic bags to paper bags and eco-friendly packaging; Promotes ty le keo 7m market for environmentally friendly bags. We are also coordinating in research, proposing waste management mechanisms and policies, including plastic waste, on ty le keo 7m principle that ty le keo 7m person generates ty le keo 7m waste must pay; Proposal to expand governmental credit that supports for recycling and reuse of plastic and plastic waste projects as well as incentives for taxes, fees and charges. At ty le keo 7m same time, gradually creating consumer markets for eco-friendly bag products; promoting scientific research, application and transferring technology of recycling of non-biodegradable plastic bags into more eco-friendly products. All of these solutions are aimed at promoting ty le keo 7m construction of circular economy in Vietnam.
Recently, at ty le keo 7m launching ceremony of ty le keo 7m national movement against plastic waste, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc made ty le keo 7m goal clear: by 2021, stores, markets, supermarkets in urban areas will not use disposable plastic products; by 2025, ty le keo 7m country will not use these items. This is a great determination of Prime Minister. In ty le keo 7m future, what solutions that will be advised by ty le keo 7m Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to Government to perform effectively?
Mr. Vo Tuan Nhan: Currently, ty le keo 7m Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is reviewing, proposing and advising ty le keo 7m Government many solutions, but in general, there are some following main groups of solutions:
Firstly, forming mechanisms, policies and laws to limit ty le keo 7m situation of plastic waste causing environmental pollution such as: Drafting a revised Law on Environmental Protection, focusing on policies to support and encourage enterprises and people invest, produce and use eco-friendly materials, increase recycling and reuse of waste; Advise ty le keo 7m Government on amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 155/2016/ND-CP on 18 November, 2016, on sanctioning of administrative violations in ty le keo 7m field of environmental protection, with special attention paid to sanctions for strictly handling acts of discharging waste causing environmental pollution; Submit to ty le keo 7m Government for consideration and promulgation in 2020; Advise ty le keo 7m Prime Minister to consider and amend Decision No. 73/2014/QD-TTg on 19 December, 2014 on ty le keo 7m list of scrap permitted to be imported in ty le keo 7m direction of allowing only ty le keo 7m import of high-value of recycling plastics; Suggesting a high tax on disposable plastic products; Tax exemption or reduction for eco-friendly products.
Secondly, promoting scientific research, application and technology transfer of recycling of plastic waste into more eco-friendly products; producing eco-friendly products to replace, such as bags, bottles,…
Thirdly, promoting communication activities to raise awareness about ty le keo 7m harmful effects of plastic-based products, disposable plastic bags on ty le keo 7m environment, ecosystems and human health; regularly launching movements against plastic waste.
Fourthly, clearly defining ty le keo 7m responsibilities of local authorities: People’s Committees of provinces and cities organize ty le keo 7m implementation of ty le keo 7m above solutions. It is important to restrict and proceed to terminate ty le keo 7m import, production and supplying persistent plastic bags since 2026 at trade centers and supermarkets for living purposes. Propagating, campaigning and organizing ty le keo 7m commitment to fight against plastic waste, not to use disposable plastic products for production establishments, product distribution organizations, trade centers, shops, restaurants, markets, supermarkets; Developing and organizing ty le keo 7m implementation of pilot models to limit ty le keo 7m use of persistent bags, Shifting from ty le keo 7m use of plastic bags to other types of paper and packaging bags; Promoting ty le keo 7m market for eco-friendly bags; Strictly control activities of producing persistent plastic bags, especially household-scale production groups; Strengthening inspection and supervision of production and consumption of persistent plastic bags and disposable plastic products; Supporting and promoting activities of collecting, recycling and reusing waste in general and plastic waste in particular.
Sincerely thank all ty le keo 7m guests for attending this talkshow!
Source: Baochinhphu.vn
