From Waste to Wonder: A shared mission to combat plastic pollution and protect coral reefs

When you look at a plastic shopping bag or a disposable coffee cup you buy on the way to work, have you ever considered their life cycle? Will they be neatly stored in our homes, awaiting recycling for future use—perhaps to help nurture a seedling on the balcony? Or will they end up tangled in a fishing net, or washed up on a beach among thousands of tourists? You may see photos of plastic pollution in the ocean, but it can be hard to connect that to the plastic you’re buying and using every day. Unfortunately, many single-use items do not remain within our recycling systems and often end up in the environment, harming ecosystems.

Viet Nam, with over 3,000 kilometers of coastline[1] and 1,300 square kilometers of coral reefs[2],  is highly vulnerable to the impacts of marine pollution. According to the 2022 Plastic Waste Generation Report by the Vietnam Agency of Seas and Islands (VASI) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), Viet Nam discards around 2.93 million tons of plastic waste annually[3], in which coastal provinces generate about 4,268 tons per day, compared to 3,753 tons per day in non-coastal provinces. The report also indicated that 75% of marine debris originates from land-based activities through rivers, coastal communities, tourism, and port activities, carried into the ocean through 112 estuaries. The most common types of debris on Viet Nam’s marine include fishing gear, plastic straws, nylon bags, food packaging, and single-use plastics[4]. Many marine creatures mistake this debris for food or become trapped in it, leading to the destruction of habitats. Floating plastic debris can be ingested by coral, affecting their growth and leading to bleaching and disease outbreaks.

To tackle this growing problem, policies and initiatives at global, regional, and national levels are crucial in reducing waste in marine and coastal areas. Viet Nam has made strides in this regard, implementing key policies such as the Revised Law on Environmental Protection (2020), the National Strategy on Integrated Solid Waste Management up to 2025, and the National Action Plan for Marine Plastic Waste Management by 2030. Additionally, initiatives such as the Packaging Recycling Organisation Viet Nam (PRO) and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mechanism show Viet Nam’s commitment in managing plastic waste.

In this context, the Germany – ASEAN project “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3R) to Protect the Marine Environment and Coral Reefs” (3RproMar) is working to enhance collaboration between public and private stakeholders in addressing waste pollution. The project focuses on improving the capacity of ASEAN member states including Viet Nam, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Philippines to reduce land-based waste leakage, thereby protecting marine ecosystems. The Viet Nam Component aims to strengthen the technical, institutional, and cooperative capacity of stakeholders to implement 3R strategies more effectively. This includes improving regional cooperation, developing national waste management measures, and fostering private sector engagement throughout the waste value chain.

Soc Trang province has been chosen as the pilot site in Viet Nam. Located downstream of the Bassac River, a branch of the Mekong River, this area is crucial both economically and ecologically. It supplies water for daily use, agriculture, industry, and plays a vital role in regulating the environment. However, the area faces significant challenges, including pollution from industrial and agricultural activities. Notably, the province also ranks among those with the highest levels of single-use plastic waste (Table 1).

As part of the efforts to develop national measures for waste leakage reduction in Viet Nam, and their translation into local strategies, 3RproMar Viet Nam is organising a total of three National Stakeholder Forums from 2022 to 2024, bringing together a broad range of key stakeholders working in the areas of solid waste, marine litter, and circular economy.

This year, the National Stakeholder Forum [5] was held in Ho Chi Minh city on October 3, 2024 as part of the Viet Nam Waste and Recycling Expo to connect public, private sectors, experts and organisations to discuss about of Extended Producer Responsibilities (EPR) and the role of informal sector in waste management. Over 70 representatives from government, businesses, and civil society gathered to discuss public-private collaboration in promoting a circular economy. The Forum fostered insightful discussions on topics such as EPR regulations and challenges faced by businesses in implementing sustainable waste management practices. Together with other ongoing activities with both national and local stakeholders, this laid a groundwork for collaboration in the shared mission of protecting the marine environment and moving towards a circular economy.

[1] 2022 Plastic Waste Generation Report, Viet Nam Agency of Seas and Islands, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, 2022.

[2] Directorate of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, 2020.

[3] 2022 Plastic Waste Generation Report, Viet Nam Agency of Seas and Islands, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, 2022.

[4] Viet Nam: Plastic pollution diagnostics. East Asia and Pacific Region, Marine Plastics, World Bank, 2022.

[5] Viet Nam 3rd National Stakeholder Forum Report Booklet 2024: Vietnam 3rd National Stakeholder Forum Report Booklet 2024 – International Climate Initiative (IKI) in Viet Nam