Photo courtesy of Vietnam News

 

Vietnam is grappling with a mounting plastic waste problem that is increasingly suffocating its cities. Urban areas are awash with thin plastic shopping bags, foam food containers, and disposable cups, accumulating in kitchens, alleyways, and landfills. This surge in plastic waste is a by-product of a lifestyle that prioritizes convenience, and without decisive, coordinated action, it will continue to permeate the environment, jeopardizing ecosystems and posing serious health risks.

 

Globally, approximately 430 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually, with more than two-thirds intended for single use, quickly turning into waste. Much of this plastic waste pollutes oceans and waterways, affecting wildlife and human populations alike. Vietnam is not immune to this pervasive issue, generating an estimated 1.8 million tonnes of plastic waste each year. However, only about 27% of this is recycled, with the rest being buried, burned, or leaking into the seas and rivers. The sheer volume of plastic waste is alarming, but the real threat lies in its durability. Lightweight and resilient, plastic can spread easily across land and water, taking centuries to decompose.

 

Bùi Thị An, director of the Institute for Natural Resources, Environment and Community Development, notes, "Plastic takes centuries, sometimes even longer, to decompose. At our current level of consumption, we are facing the risk of being drowned by our own waste." For many young urban residents, plastic waste is not just an environmental concern but an inescapable aspect of daily life.

 

For instance, Hà Thị Phương Linh, a 20-year-old university student in Hà Nội, describes how her hectic schedule forces her to rely on takeout food. Her breakfast typically consists of a baguette wrapped in plastic, accompanied by small sachets of chili sauce. Lunch usually arrives in a foam box with a plastic spoon and multiple layers of plastic bags from nearby convenience stores or rice shops. Even a quick market trip often results in accumulating several single-use plastic bags for small purchases like eggs or vegetables.

 

"I can bring home four or five plastic bags a day without even noticing," Linh confesses. "They’re convenient—you use them and throw them away. But when I collect the rubbish at the weekend, I’m shocked at how much plastic I’ve accumulated." While she cares about the environment, Linh finds it challenging to change her habits when shops automatically provide new bags and rarely offer alternatives.

 

A similar scenario unfolds within Vietnam’s booming milk tea culture. Lê Ngọc Nhi, a 22-year-old living in Hà Nội’s Hoàng Mai Ward, views her daily milk tea as a reward after studying and working part-time. Each drink arrives packaged in a plastic cup with a lid, straw, and carry bag. Deadlines sometimes necessitate two or three drinks a day, especially via delivery apps, where drivers add additional plastic packaging to prevent spills. "After just a few days, my bin is full of empty cups," Nhi remarks.

 

Environmental experts warn that the repercussions of this plastic waste accumulation go beyond overflowing bins. It's now a prevalent issue throughout every environment from urban drains and soil to rivers and open seas. Heavy rainfall can wash tons of plastic into waterways, eventually carrying it to the ocean. This results in not just visual pollution but also significant ecological damage, particularly affecting aquatic life. Even more troubling are the risks tied to human health. As plastic breaks down, it forms microplastics: minuscule particles ingested by marine organisms and moving up the food chain.

 

"We are eating our own waste without realizing it," says An. "Microplastics can disrupt hormones and accumulate in organs such as the liver and kidneys." Vũ Thanh Ca, a senior lecturer at Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment, argues that the core problem stems from consumption habits and production methods that heavily rely on single-use plastics. Everyday scenes at supermarkets often include a small piece of meat on a foam tray, wrapped in plastic film, and placed in another plastic bag at checkout. "All of that packaging serves one product," he states. "Yet producers, distributors, and consumers still haven’t changed their thinking."

 

According to Ca, the deeper issue is cost. Plastic is exceedingly cheap because the environmental damage it causes is not factored into its price. "In environmental economics, pollution costs must be fully accounted for," Ca explains. "But the damage caused by plastic waste isn’t included in production costs. That’s why plastic appears cheap, and consumers never see its real price."

 

Even when individuals attempt to modify their behavior, structural barriers persist. Waste sorting at the source becomes futile if all garbage is collected in the same truck. Effective recycling necessitates investment in specialized collection vehicles, clear schedules for diverse waste streams, and financial mechanisms that allow waste management entities to function sustainably. Mixing waste makes recycling far more costly. Plastic must be cleaned before processing, and contaminated materials significantly increase water usage and treatment costs, undermining the economic viability of recycling.

 

Nguyễn Trung Thắng, deputy director of the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Agriculture and Environment, asserts that Vietnam has established a relatively comprehensive legal framework, including the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection and subsequent decrees and circulars. "The laws are there. The challenge is turning them into concrete actions that actually shape how people and businesses behave," Thắng says.

 

Limited funding and inadequate infrastructure remain significant hurdles. Many local areas lack the capacity and equipment necessary to implement waste sorting, collection, and treatment on a large scale. Despite these challenges, the government has laid out a clear plan. From January 2026, the production of certain non-biodegradable plastic bags will be prohibited. By 2030, single-use plastic products and non-degradable bags are to be completely phased out. Some supermarkets have already transitioned to biodegradable bags, but Thắng argues that stronger market incentives are needed.

 

"Single-use plastics must become more expensive. That’s how you change consumer behavior," he added. Lê Văn Hưng, a senior lecturer at Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment, emphasizes that a broader transition is essential, combining legal reforms, technological innovation, and sustained public education.

 

"Plastic bags are just one part of the problem," Hưng points out. "The real goal is a circular economy where waste is reduced, reused, and recycled efficiently." Without systemic change, Vietnam will continue to generate approximately 1.8 million tonnes of plastic waste each year, and the plastic tide will keep rising, quietly, persistently, and at an escalating cost that becomes increasingly difficult to overlook, reported Vietnam News.

 

Key Takeaways

• Vietnam generates 1.8 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with low recycling rates.
• Experts warn that microplastics pose severe ecological and health risks.
• Government action includes upcoming bans on certain plastics, aiming for a circular economy.

 

Related Stories:

Chinese CEO Arrested at Suvarnabhumi Over Plastic Waste Fraud

Thailand tackles plastic waste imports crisis head-on

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Vietnam News 2025-12-26

 

 

 

Very sad. Thailand not faring better.