Retailers to be fined if providing single-use plastic bags to consumers from 2026
Retailers that provide single-use plastic bags to customers will be fined from 2026, said an official of the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE) at a seminar summarising the PLASTIC ALLIANCE pilot project on April 20.
Single-use plastic bags widely used (Photo: report.az)
Hanoi (VNA) - Retailers that provide single-use plastic bags tocustomers will be fined from 2026, said an official ofthe Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment(ISPONRE) at a seminar summarising the PLASTIC ALLIANCE pilot project on April20.
The seminar was jointly held by ISPONRE, the Authority ofIndustry and Trade of Hanoi, and Expertise France – the European country'spublic agency in charge of international technical cooperation.
Nguyen Trung Thang, Deputy Director of the ISPONRE, said that being aware of serious risks of plastic wasteto the environment, Vietnam has issued a lot of legal documents related to thisissue. The country strives to use 100 percent of environmentally-friendly bagsat commercial centres and supermarkets.
Among the 48 supermarkets surveyed, 46 are providing plastic bags free of charge (Photo: VNA)
He cited a survey by his institute as saying that up to104,000 single-use plastic bags are used at supermarkets each day, equivalentto 38 million bags a year. Among the 48 supermarkets surveyed, 46 are providingplastic bags for free of charge.
The PLASTIC ALLIANCE gathers 16 retailers that pledge toreduce the use of disposable plastic bags. It is part of the “RethinkingPlastics - Circular Economy Solutions to Marine Litter in Vietnam” projectfunded by the European Union (EU) and the German Government, and carried out byExpertise France.
The alliance has stepped up communication programmes directlyat retailers and online on social media platforms to change consumers’ behaviourin reducing the use of single-use plastic bags and plastic products./.
Vietnam aims to use 100 percent of environmentally-friendly plastic bags and packaging at shopping malls and supermarkets by 2025, according to a project on strengthening management of plastic waste in Vietnam approved by Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh on July 22.
The Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, in collaboration with the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade and the Vietnam Business for Environment (VB4E) Alliance, held a consultation session with retailers on stepping up the implementation of a communication plan on reducing plastic bags.
An alliance of retailers who pledged to reduce the use of disposable plastic bags made its debut at a ceremony held by the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Hanoi’s Department of Industry and Trade on January 14.
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Single-use plastic bags widely used (Photo: report.az) 
Among the 48 supermarkets surveyed, 46 are providing plastic bags free of charge (Photo: VNA) 
