3 hours ago
7
November 26, 2024 | 09:53 pm
TEMPO.CO, Minh Khai - Countless discarded bags float on the canal running through Minh Khai village, whose narrow streets are clogged with tall heaps of plastic waste spilling out from villagers' front yards and stacked near furnaces where non-recyclable scrap is burned.
This so-called plastic recycling "craft village", an hour's drive from Vietnam's capital Hanoi, is where some of the plastic sorted for recycling in Japan, America, and Europe ends up for final treatment.
Delegates at a United Nations summit in South Korea this week are discussing new global rules that could limit that trade, which U.N. data shows was worth $3.8 billion last year. Stricter domestic requirements on waste imports will also be applicable in Vietnam from next year.
The Southeast Asian nation has emerged as a major importer of plastic scrap in recent years after China, once the top player in the industry, banned imports in 2018. Vietnam was the world's fourth largest importer in 2022, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
But that surge in imports has taken place as the country is struggling to recycle even its own plastic waste.
Additional restrictions could reduce the trade but the large size of the domestic informal industry may make it hard to monitor commercial flows and recycling rates, experts and officials said.
FROM SORTING TO LANDFILLS
More than one quarter of Vietnam's plastic recycling capacity is concentrated in craft villages like Minh Khai, the World Bank said in a 2021 report, noting that spare capacity to process imported plastic amounted to 300,000 metric tons.
That was well short of the 420,000 tons of plastic scrap Vietnam imported last year, which was up 11% from 2022, according to U.N. data, which does not capture the entire volume.
Vietnam's environment ministry did not reply to requests for updated figures.
Researchers have found that recycling is being hampered by the inability to properly sort plastic waste, both offshore and in Vietnam. Only 30% of plastic waste generated in Vietnam is sorted, said a government-backed WWF report in 2023.
As a result, in spite of shipment costs, Vietnam's recyclers rely on higher-quality foreign plastic scrap, according to FiinGroup, a research firm.
But estimates suggest Vietnam recycles only up to one-third of the imported plastic waste, said a research paper published in January.
That is partly because some imported plastic is often mixed with organic waste that makes it hard or impossible to treat, said one of the paper's authors, Kaustubh Thapa, from the Netherlands' Utrecht University.
A recycler at Minh Khai village was more upbeat. "The amount of imported waste that can't be recycled is often about 5% of the volume, but at times it goes up to 25%," said Chi, who declined to give his full name.
Most people contacted in the village in person or by phone declined to talk to the media for fear of repercussions on their activities.
Much of the unrecycled plastic is dumped in "unsanitary" landfills, and about 15% of that is directly released into the environment and the oceans, the WWF report said.
"Exporting waste for recycling to destinations without sound recycling capacity raises questions of fairness and sustainability," concluded the research paper by Thapa and co-authors.
REUTERS | Francesco Guarascio | Khanh Vu
Editor's Choice: Prabowo Approves of Plastic Waste Import Ban, Ministry Claims
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Prabowo Approves of Plastic Waste Import Ban, Ministry Claims
6 jam lalu
Minister Hanif emphasized that waste imports must be halted considering the burden it adds to the country's waste management problems.
IOJI Study Reveals Why Vietnamese Fishermen Target Natuna Fish
3 hari lalu
Indonesia suffered a loss of Rp2.98 trillion due to fish theft in Natuna waters by 280 Vietnamese fishing vessels between May and December 2016.
4 UN Best Tourism Villages in Southeast Asia; 2 of Them in Indonesia
4 hari lalu
The UN Best Tourism Villages of 2024 awards were bestowed upon Jatiluwih and Wukirsari in Indonesia, Bo Suak in Thailand, and Tra Que in Vietnam.
U.S. Trade Mission Visits Indonesia to Foster Bilateral Cooperation
6 hari lalu
The U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Marisa Lago, visited Indonesia from November 15 to 20, 2024.
Indonesian National Team Surpasses Vietnam and Thailand in World Cup Qualifiers History by Beating Saudi Arabia 2-0
6 hari lalu
The Indonesia national team exceeded the achievements of Vietnam and Thailand in the history of the Asia zone third round World Cup Qualifiers after defeating Saudi Arabia.
Donald Trump's Protectionist Policy Will Affect Indonesia's Trade, Official Says
6 hari lalu
Head of Indonesian Trade Policy Agency Fajarini Puntodewi says Donald Trump's victory could revive the 'America First' policy.
Indonesia Targets 9.64 Percent Export Growth
7 hari lalu
The Ministry of Trade targets export growth to reach 9.64 percent in the next five years.
New Zealand PM Praises Prabowo for the Release of Susi Air Pilot
10 hari lalu
Indonesian President Prabowo and New Zealand PM discuss opportunities to enhance cooperation between the two countries.
Prabowo, Vietnamese President Discuss Ratification of EEZ Agreement in Peru
10 hari lalu
Prabowo emphasizes Indonesia's commitment to accelerate the ratification process of the EEZ agreement and to complete its implementation.
Indonesian Futsal National Team Crowned Champion of AFF Futsal Cup 2024 After Beating Vietnam 2-0
16 hari lalu
Indonesian Futsal National Team became champion of the AFF Futsal Cup 2024 after defeating Vietnam 2-0.
