Vietnam E-Commerce Association (VECOM) in collaboration with Vietnam NPAP and other relevant counterparts organized the 2023 Digital Business Contest (DBC). The contest invited students to submit their business ideas on various topics, including “Green digital business, fast plastic waste reduction” in Pillar 4. A total of 84 eligible teams from 39 universities throughout the country are participating in the contest and will formulate their business ideas on addressing plastic pollution. In October, these applicants will receive an online coaching session and a consultation workshop, followed by a series of direct mentoring sessions through a Unitour, visiting 15 universities together with members of the Judging Panel. The panel, including the Viet Nam NPAP Secretariat Manager and eight other specialists in digital marketing, commerce, logistics, and especially plastic waste and circular economy, will review all proposals and select the best solutions of youth teams for plastic waste reduction.

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.

Exploring financial opportunities for plastic actions is the main topic brought on at the regular meeting of the NPAP Innovation and Financing Task Force this month. Both the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) and the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Viet Nam introduced their unlocking channels through project funding and Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA) to the task force members and observers. AEPW offers investment opportunities for three kinds of projects: flagship, early impacts, and solution building blocks to support plastic waste collection, segregation, and recycling, while the CFA focuses on supporting innovative entrepreneurs who wish to scale up and advance their solutions or products with a minimum financial plan of US$5 million. The CFA offers only a range of support for climate mitigation projects in accessing finance, but not direct financing. The task force members also heard a presentation on how NPAP Indonesia is using its financing roadmap to develop the NPAP work plan and discussed further the proposal to develop a financing roadmap for plastic actions in Viet Nam until 2030. https://www.pwc.com/vn/en/services/deals/cfa-programme.html

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.