Waves of waste: Addressing Vietnam’s marine plastic pollution challenge
Waves of waste: Addressing Vietnam’s marine plastic pollution challenge
WRITTEN BY THU NGUYEN HOANG ANH
16 April 2025
At the 2018 G7 Summit, Vietnam’s then-Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed the country’s commitment to reduce marine plastic pollution, demonstrating strong political will to tackle this scourge. However, marine debris continues to plague Vietnam’s waterways and coastlines.
Vietnam generates 1.8 million tons of waste annually, of which around one-third ends up in the ocean. In total, plastics make up 80 per cent of marine waste in the country. Existing research ranks Vietnam among the top contributors to global marine plastic pollution. Without drastic action and systemic change, the waves of waste could ultimately reach a tipping point. Looking ahead, Vietnam must enhance its waste management infrastructure, revise its legal framework, reduce plastic production and consumption, and strengthen international cooperation.
Drowning in a sea of plastics
Marine plastic pollution poses substantial hardships for coastal and island communities in Vietnam, which rely heavily on marine resources for food and livelihoods. By disrupting marine ecosystems and depleting resources such as fisheries, marine plastic pollution can lead to financial difficulties, food insecurity, and even population displacement. Moreover, the proliferation of plastic debris poses a hazard to navigation, increasing the risk of maritime accidents and collisions and endangering lives. It should be emphasised that plastic can take anywhere from 500 to 1,000 years to degrade. Marine pollution also weakens the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide and exacerbates climate change through its negative impact on mangroves, seagrasses, and coral reefs. Worryingly, it poses risks to human health, as toxic chemicals from plastics can leach into water and be absorbed by marine life. When consumed, these contaminants enter the human food chain, potentially causing hormonal disruptions and damage to organs, such as the liver, kidney, and brain. Studies have found that around 900 ocean species have encountered marine debris, with plastic accounting for 92 per cent of these encounters.
Based on estimates from the Vietnam National Plastics Action Partnership, if the country’s current systems are not improved, the volume of plastics in its waterways could double by 2030.
Increasing urbanisation coupled with economic development and growth in consumption have increased marine waste in Vietnam, with inefficient waste management and low public awareness further worsening the situation. While marine litter in Vietnam’s waters consists of various materials — such as paper, cardboard, cloth, wood, metal, glass, ceramics, and rubber — plastic makes up the majority of the waste. The country generates over 8,000 tons of plastic waste daily. Single-use plastics are a major culprit contributing to nearly 72 per cent of all plastic waste in Vietnam. Approximately 0.28 to 0.73 million tons of plastic waste from Vietnam enter the oceans each year, making the country one of the top contributors to global marine pollution. The main sources of plastic pollution along Vietnam’s coastline are land-based emissions, riverine plastics, beached litter, and improper waste disposal by local communities, visitors, and merchants.
Pushing against the tide
Vietnam’s central government has pledged to address marine plastic pollution. The country has also ratified several international laws related to marine pollution, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), as well as the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. These international laws offer guidelines and foundations for countries to formulate their national legislation. However, these are merely soft laws and have no legally binding force. Therefore, while these international instruments can increase the political commitment of, and incentives for, countries to eliminate marine pollution, signatories are not obligated to follow all the provisions of these laws.
Vietnam has so far issued a variety of national policies and legal documents to deal with marine plastic pollution. The two most important documents are the National Action Plan for Management of Marine Plastic Litter by 2030 and the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection. The National Action Plan sets objectives concerning marine plastic pollution and delineates the tasks and responsibilities of different government agencies. Specifically, it envisages a reduction in marine plastic waste by 50 per cent by 2025 and 75 per cent by 2030. Meanwhile, the Law on Environmental Protection obliges producers and importers to take responsibility for waste collection, treatment, and recycling under Articles 54 and 55. In addition, Article 73 mandates relevant government bodies and the People’s Committees of coastal provinces and cities to collect, reuse, and recycle plastic waste at sea.
Vietnam has also introduced several policies to cut down on single-use plastics such as carrier bags, plastic utensils, and food containers. Starting 1 January 2026, a ban on the production and import of non-biodegradable plastic bags smaller than 50 cm × 50 cm and with a thickness of less than 50 µm will come into effect. After 31 December 2030, the production and import of single-use plastic products and non-biodegradable plastic packaging will be completely stopped. The government also encourages retailers to switch to environmentally friendly bags and prohibits supermarkets and stores from using single-use plastic bags for packaging goods from 2026. Additionally, a range of campaigns have been launched with the aim of raising citizens' awareness of the adverse effects of plastic waste. Notwithstanding, Vietnam is still grappling with the marine plastic pollution challenge.
The road ahead: challenging but not impossible
To curb the flow of plastics into the ocean, Vietnam ought to take stronger action and embrace necessary changes. It is widely acknowledged that solid waste collection, treatment, and management systems are vital for addressing the marine plastic pollution problem. Vietnam must allocate a larger budget for high-quality waste management infrastructure, such as recycling plants, composting facilities, and waste-to-energy plants. In addition, the government should incentivise both formal sector (such as officials and local authorities) and informal sector (such as waste collectors) to actively participate in waste collection, treatment, and management processes. More importantly, these personnel should receive sufficient training on relevant legislation, best practices, and new technologies related to waste management. Furthermore, coastal or beach cleanup programs should be held frequently to reduce the amount of plastic waste in these areas.
For existing legislation to be effective, the government needs to continue revising and improving. First, it is important to highlight in the national legislation that the fight against marine plastic pollution is a top priority, creating an enabling environment for actions to be taken. Second, there is a need for clear role assignments for different actors involved in marine pollution governance. This can minimise overlapping responsibilities and confusion, allowing smoother law implementation. Third, Vietnam needs to continue ensuring that its current laws remain in accordance with international laws and standards for the prevention of marine plastic pollution.
Marine plastic pollution stands as an example of a complex policy problem that necessitates joint efforts from different levels of government, agencies, and sectors to ensure efficient management. Vietnam can consider establishing a dedicated, leading agency to coordinate the efforts of different agencies and sectors. In addition, there is a need for the central government to work closely with the local governments to ensure consistent and effective policy implementation. Furthermore, the Vietnamese government should also encourage business and industry leaders in Vietnam to transform their supply chains by reducing or substituting plastic materials with reusable materials, through regulations and incentives.
Given the transnational nature of marine plastic pollution, a single nation cannot address the issue in isolation. Both international support and local political leadership are crucial in the fight against plastic waste. To this end, Vietnam should strengthen its level of cooperation and communication with pertinent international organisations, ASEAN, and other countries. Regularly exchanging information, learning from experience, and sharing best practices will help the country improve its legislation and policies on marine plastic pollution governance. For instance, the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) and Japan’s Plastics Smart campaign offer good examples for Vietnam to emulate. Additionally, Vietnam can seek external assistance in developing waste management facilities and adopting innovative technologies to eliminate plastic waste.
Based on estimates from the Vietnam National Plastics Action Partnership, if the country’s current systems are not improved, the volume of plastics in its waterways could double by 2030. Unless stronger actions are taken to enhance waste management and reduce plastic production and consumption, marine plastic pollution is likely to persist.
DISCLAIMER: All views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent that of the 9DASHLINE.com platform.
Author biography
Thu Nguyen Hoang Anh is pursuing a PhD in Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. Concurrently, she is a Blue Security Fellow at La Trobe University and a member of the Young Leaders Program at the Pacific Forum. She holds an MA in Transnational Governance from European University Institute and a BA in International Relations from Tokyo International University. Previously, she was an intern at the Fisheries and Aquaculture Unit, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Image credit: Flickr/Global Environment Facility.