The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) is collaborating with the Viet Nam Farmers’ Union Central Committee and Bac Ninh province to organize a ceremony in response to the “Clean up the World” campaign in 2023. This campaign has encouraged every individual and community member to act against environmental pollution and promote a circular economy toward sustainable development in Viet Nam.

During the trip to attend the high-level week of the UN General Assembly’s 78th session and bilateral activities in New York (United States), Viet Nam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with the President and CEO of Coca-Cola, Mr. Hames Quincey. The discussion touched on the production structure of the company’s factories in Viet Nam’s localities toward sustainable development and green production.

At the meeting with Viet Nam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit, Founder and Executive Chairman of World Economic Forum (WEF), Mr. Klaus Schwab, described Viet Nam “as a bright spot of post-pandemic economic growth”. The Viet Nam – WEF cooperation was enhanced through a signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the 2023 – 2026 period in June 2023, focusing on six areas, including plastic waste reduction.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is leading and hosting a Consortium with the Aspen Institute, The Ocean Foundation, and Searious Business to launch the multiyear public-private partnership “End Plastic Pollution International Collaborative”. This USD 14.5 million partnership supported by the United States Department of State aims to navigate innovation and investment from multiple public sectors and organizations to transform the plastic sector into circular solutions globally.

UCN and PRO Vietnam piloted volume-based waste fees in Hoi An, a top tourist destination in Quang Nam Province, in 2022-2023. In a meeting on 30 August 2023 to review the phase 1 pilot activity in Cam Nam ward, the Hoi An People’s Committee Vice-Chairperson Nguyen The Hung praised Cam Nam’s efforts and suggested expanding the program.

Based on an analysis by the Viet Nam Plastic Association (VPA), importing raw materials in the plastics industry will be likely reduced in the coming years. Conversely, the export of plastic products reached 160 countries and territories last year, with a growth rate of 12-20% annually. With the orientation of transforming into a circular economy and sustainable development, many plastic manufacturers need to gradually switch to producing eco-friendly products.

To prepare for the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) next year, the Packaging Recycling Organization Viet Nam (PRO Viet Nam) organized a workshop on the topic “Toward a Successful EPR Approach”. Many speakers confirmed that the recycling largely depends on scrap dealers and villages, so that it is necessary to have a strong partnership amongst different recycling sectors, including public administrators, waste collection and recycling businesses, and non-government organizations for effective and efficient EPR deployment.

As part of the "Reducing Ocean Plastic Waste in Vietnam", the WWF Viet Nam and the People’s Committee of Phu Quoc City organized a seminar on reducing plastic waste and developing sustainable tourism targeting travel agencies on 18 October in Phu Quoc Island. This project was endorsed by MONRE’s Department of Vietnam Seas and Islands (VASI) to promote ecotourism with less plastic waste generation from 2019 to 2023 in 9 provinces and cities, focusing on communications and education, urban plastic reduction, fisheries and marine protected areas, and EPR and policy management.