Da Nang moves toward zero single-use plastics

On April 1, the People’s Committee of Da Nang city issued a directive to strengthen plastic waste management. The city requires authorities at all levels, across sectors and localities, and the business community to simultaneously implement strong measures to minimize and eventually eliminate single-use plastic products.

In recent years, Da Nang has launched numerous programs and plans to reduce plastic waste in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. However, results have not met expectations, as coordination among authorities, businesses, and communities has remained inconsistent and has not fully complied with environmental protection regulations.

In response, Da Nang City People’s Committee requires agencies and units to strictly avoid using single-use plastic products and non-biodegradable plastic packaging in official activities, meetings, and events. At the same time, waste sorting at source must be implemented thoroughly within agencies and organizations, ensuring recyclable waste and organic waste are separated.

Alongside these measures, the city will intensify communication campaigns to raise awareness and gradually change consumer habits. Outreach activities will be conducted through diverse formats, from seminars and forums to community programs, encouraging the use of environmentally friendly products.

Notably, sectors with high plastic consumption, such as shopping malls, supermarkets, hotels, tourist areas, and markets, will be encouraged to commit to reducing plastic emissions, with the aim of creating tangible changes in practice.

Regarding policy mechanisms, the Department of Finance has been tasked with studying incentives to encourage investment in environmentally friendly alternative products. The Department of Science and Technology will focus on research and technology transfer for recycling, while the education sector will promote integrating waste sorting and environmental protection into school curricula.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment will serve as the focal agency to coordinate communication efforts, promote the implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR), increase corporate accountability for products and packaging after consumption, and advise on a practical roadmap to reduce plastic waste in the city.

After five years of implementation, waste sorting at source has achieved positive results, with 100% of residential groups participating, more than 95% of households, and nearly 87.5% of production and business establishments involved. Approximately 15-20% of municipal solid waste is recycled or reused, significantly reducing pressure on landfills.

Nevertheless, to achieve sustainable plastic waste reduction, the city emphasized the need for stronger, more coordinated action across the entire political system, businesses, and citizens, from awareness to practical actions at every stage of waste generation.

Plastic pollution in Viet Nam is occurring on a large scale, with the majority of plastic flow going from land to sea: Approximately 80% of ocean plastic waste originates from land, transported through the river and canal system, which acts as a “conveyor belt” carrying waste from urban areas, industrial zones, and production areas to coastal ecosystems.

It is estimated that about 1,531 tons of plastic waste are lost to the environment every day, equivalent to more than 558,000 tons per year. Alarmingly, microplastics have penetrated deep into the food chain, found in many common seafood species such as mollusks, shrimp, and fish, thereby increasing the risk of exposure for humans.