Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Many experts haveraised concerns about the import of thousands of containers of plastic, andproposed raising fees for importing plastic waste to Vietnam and then using itas materials.

Hoang Van Thuc, Deputy Director of the VietnamEnvironment Administration under the Ministry of Natural Resources andEnvironment (MONRE), said in the draft decree giving guidance to implement theLaw on Environment Protection, the MONRE proposed adding regulations aboutplastic waste management.

One of them proposes that from the onset of2025, Vietnam will allow enterprises to import plastic waste for materials forhigh value products only. Another new regulation is that enterprises can import70 percent of their materials only, and the remaining 30 percent must be fromdomestic recycled plastic waste.  

In the short term, to tighten management onplastic waste imports, Thuc said the MONRE proposed banning some of the plasticmost harmful to the environment.

However, many enterprises prefer importingplastic waste instead of recycling domestic plastic.

A spokesman of the Vietnam Plastic Association(VPA) said in 2013-2017, Vietnam imported 91,400 tonnes of plastic waste peryear, fourth out of the 10 ASEAN countries.

A recent study by Tuoi tre (Youth) newspapershowed domestic plastic waste was not separated at its source by families, soit was mixed with different waste, explaining why enterprises preferred toimport plastic waste that has been separated.

The spokesman of the VPA also shared his fearthat if enterprises did not use local materials, in the long term, thecountry’s plastic sector would lose its competitiveness and firms would bebought out by multinationals.

Professor Dang Kim Chi, an expert from theVietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment, said cappingfirms’ material imports at 70 percent was a good idea.

“If we do not implement the regulation, ourcountry could become a place containing many kinds of waste from othercountries,” she said.

Au Anh Tuan, Acting Director of the CustomsControl and Supervision Department under the Vietnam General Department of Customs,said that at present, enterprises are allowed to import plastic waste only whenthey have valid certificates.

At present, nearly 10,000 containers containingplastic waste are lying in different ports across the country. Most of them arein the Hai Phong and Cat Lai ports, according to the Vietnam General Departmentof Customs.

The Law on Customs regulates that if no onereceives import goods within three months, enterprises must re-export thegoods.

To tackle plastic waste at ports, the Governmenthas founded an inspection team led by the Ministry of Finance.

The VPA calculated that by 2023, the plasticsector will need about 10 million tonnes of plastic materials for domesticproduction and export. Vietnam can produce 2.6 million tonnes, the remaining7.4 million tonnes needs to be imported.-VNS/VNA