INTRODUCING NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR MANAGEMENT OF MARINE PLASTIC LITTER BY 2030

1. General objectives

- Effectively implement innovations and fulfill Vietnam’s commitments to other countries regarding resolution for plastic litter, with a focus on marine plastic litter, to eliminate plastic litter from land-based and ocean-based sources, and strive to become a pioneering country in mitigation of marine plastic litter in the region.

- Contribute to implementation of the national strategy for general management of solid waste by 2025 with vision towards 2050 approved by the Prime Minister via the Decision No. 491/QD-TTg dated May 07, 2018 and ensure development and deployment of the scheme for improvement of solid waste management in Vietnam.

- Take an approach suitable to the circular economy model, and facilitate plastic waste collection, recycling and reuse in Vietnam.

- Improve the community and society’s awareness towards behaviors and habits concerning single-use plastics and non-biodegradable plastic bags.

2. Specific objectives

a) By 2025

- Reduce marine plastic litter by 50%; collect 50% of abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear; 80% of coastal tourism areas, tourist attractions, tourist accommodations and other coastal tourism services stop using single-use plastics and non-biodegradable plastic bags; ensure nationwide beach cleanup campaigns are launched at least twice a year; and 80% of marine protected areas are without plastic.

- Monitor marine plastic litter annually and assess marine plastic litter every 5 years at a number of estuaries of the 5 major drainage basins in the North, North Central Coast, central region of Central Vietnam, South Central Coast and the South, and islands with tourism potential located in the 12 insular districts.

b) By 2030

- Reduce marine plastic litter by 75%; collect 100% of abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear, and put an end to disposal of fishing gear to the sea; 100% of coastal tourism areas, tourist attractions, tourist accommodations and other seaside tourism services stop using single-use plastics and non-biodegradable plastic bags; and strive for 100% of marine protected areas free of plastic litter.

- Monitor marine plastic litter annually and assess marine plastic litter every 5 years at a number of estuaries of the 11 major drainage basins and in the 12 insular districts.

1. Education and change to behavior pertaining to plastics and marine plastic litter  

a) Contents

- Formulate and carry out programs to popularize the impacts of single-use plastics and non-biodegradable plastic bags on oceans, marine ecosystems, the environment and human health; promote marine plastic litter collection and processing programs and methods and purposes of waste classification at the source of generation so as to break the habit of using single-use plastics and non-biodegradable plastic bags.

- Promptly commend and reward organizations and individuals with remarkable achievements or valuable innovations; and implement effective models of collection, classification, transfer and processing of coastal and marine plastic waste. Adequately and accurately report violations against environmental protection laws, especially cases of illegal plastic waste dumping.

- Provide training, raise awareness and sense of responsibility, break the habit of using single-use plastics and non-biodegradable plastic bags, and prevent waste and plastic waste dumping from coastal residential communities, fishers, seafarers, tourists, organizations and enterprises; enhance plastic waste managerial capacity and experience for managing officials of coastal localities at all levels.

- Encourage organizations and individuals to vigorously recycle and reuse plastic waste, and promote development of a circular economy and green growth.

b) Responsibilities

- The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall take charge and cooperate with other ministries, ministerial-level agencies, Governmental agencies and relevant regulatory bodies in formulating contents of programs to popularize the impacts of single-use plastic litter on oceans, marine ecosystems, the environment and human health; launch marine plastic litter collection and processing programs; develop and deploy programs to raise the awareness towards marine plastic litter in connection with Vietnam Sea and Island Week.

- The Ministry of Information and Communications shall direct press agencies and the press to cooperate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in developing programs and materials suitable to each year and each period of time; provide coverage on mass media and in grassroots information systems; promptly promote exemplary cases in marine plastic litter mitigation movements.

- According to the principles and purposes of their press affiliates, the Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam Television and supervisory press authorities at central and local levels shall take charge and cooperate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and People’s Committees at all levels to develop programs, special pages and columns to raise the awareness towards the impacts of single-use plastic litter on oceans, marine ecosystems, the environment and human health; to promote marine plastic litter collection and processing programs; and to enhance responsibilities of enterprises, organizations, residential communities and citizens in prevention,  mitigation and processing of marine plastic litter.

- People’s Committees of coastal provinces and central-affiliated cities (“People’s Committees of coastal provinces”) shall popularize the impacts of single-use plastic litter on oceans, marine ecosystems, the environment and human health and promote marine plastic litter collection and processing programs as appropriate to the situation in each province or city.

c) Implementation period: 2020 - 2030.

2. Collection, classification, storage, transfer and processing of plastic waste from coastal and ocean-based activities.

a) Contents

- Organize deployment of beach cleanup movements and campaigns throughout the country, in localities and in coastal residential communities at least twice a year; locate plastic waste storage equipment and collection sites in a suitable, safe and convenient manner, ensuring environmental hygiene and aesthetics.

- Encourage citizens to collect, enumerate and classify marine plastic litter, and cooperate in development of a marine plastic litter database consistent with the national waste source database.

- Enable organizations and individuals to collect, classify, store, transfer, recycle and reuse plastic waste in drainage basins, coastal ecosystems, mangrove forests, beaches and coastal waters.

b) Responsibilities

- Presiding authority: People’s Committees of coastal provinces.

- Cooperating authorities: Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and other relevant ministries and regulatory bodies.

c) Implementation period: 2020 - 2030.

3. Control of plastic litter at source

a) Contents

- Investigate, enumerate, classify and evaluate land-based, ocean-based and island-based plastic waste sources; effectively implement models of classification of plastic waste at source; develop and complete systems for collection, classification, transfer and processing of plastic waste in industrial parks, urban areas, tourism areas, coastal and riverine residential areas and ports according to regulations of laws on environmental protection.

- Incorporate investigation, enumeration, classification and evaluation of land-based, ocean-based and island-based plastic waste sources into management of drainage basins, coastal metropolises and estuaries; tighten control over waste disposal into water bodies and produce solutions to plastic microbeads from wastewater of urban areas and industrial parks, especially for coasts, estuaries and coastal waters.

- Inspect and monitor enforcement of regulations on collection and processing of plastic waste from marine economic activities, including marine tourism and services, maritime economy, oil and gas extraction, exploitation of marine resources, aquaculture, commercial fishing and ocean energy, especially on islands possessing potentials for marine tourism and services and high biodiversity located in the 12 insular districts and on inhabited marine structures.

- Prevent and mitigate disposal and loss of fishing gear in connection with strict imposition of mechanisms for handling of violations; further inspect and monitor, and deal with violations against regulations on marine waste disposal.

b) Responsibilities and implementation period

- The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Industry and Trade and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall ex officio take charge and cooperate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and other relevant ministries and regulatory bodies in developing and deploying plans for management of plastic litter from marine economic activities.

Implementation period: 2020 - 2030.

- The Ministry of Education and Training shall take charge and cooperate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and other relevant ministries and regulatory bodies in incorporating marine environment protection and marine plastic dumping prevention and mitigation into educational and training programs at all levels as suitable.

Implementation period: 2020 - 2030.

- The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall take charge and cooperate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and other relevant ministries and regulatory bodies in strict control of plastic litter originating from marine protected areas and coastal fisher communities.

Implementation period: 2020 - 2030.

- The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall take charge and cooperate with People’s Committees of coastal provinces in formulation and pilot implementation of models of management, mitigation and gradual elimination of single-use plastics and non-biodegradable plastic bags in a number of national coastal tourism areas.

Implementation period: 2020 - 2030.

4. International cooperation, scientific research, application, development and transfer of marine plastic litter processing technologies

a) Contents

- Commit to resolving marine plastic waste together with the international community, especially with ASEAN member states and other countries bordering the East Asian seas; promote in-depth exchange, research and sharing of information and data concerning marine plastic litter with other nations and territories in the region and around the world.

- Maintain and strengthen cooperative relations with international marine organizations; proactively adopt conventions; and cooperate in control and management of marine plastic waste.

- Attract international technical assistance and investment in control of marine plastic litter; receive models of management and technologies for manufacture of alternative products, plastic waste recycling and transition to a circular economy and green growth.

- Research, develop, apply and transfer technologies and techniques for marine plastic litter processing and mitigation; and encourage research on and development of systems for marine plastic litter collection and processing with regard to Vietnam's current situation.

- Establish and operate an international marine plastic litter center; develop and manage the national marine plastic litter database.

- Formulate and launch research projects on scientific evidence for marine plastic litter; assess pollution risks and impacts of plastic litter, especially plastic microbeads, on oceans, marine ecosystems, the environment and human health.

- Develop a system for monitoring of marine plastic litter based on remote sensing and image interpretation technologies and a system of geological information combined with artificial intelligence and local knowledge.

b) Responsibilities and implementation period

- The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall take charge and cooperate with coastal localities and other relevant ministries and regulatory bodies in developing and operating resources and environmental monitoring networks, periodically assessing current condition of marine plastic waste at a number of major estuaries, coastal areas, front-line islands and islands with tourism potential; and presiding over promotion of international cooperation and sharing of Vietnamese innovations in marine plastic litter management with the international community.

Implementation period: 2020 - 2025.

- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall take charge and cooperate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, other relevant ministries and regulatory bodies and People’s Committees of coastal provinces in facilitating adoption of conventions on marine plastic litter management.

Implementation period: 2020 - 2025.

- The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall take charge and cooperate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other relevant ministries and regulatory bodies and People’s Committees of coastal provinces in hosting the ASEAN Regional Forum on marine environment with a focus on marine plastic litter upon 2020 ASEAN chairmanship.

Implementation period: 2020.

5. Consistent and effective investigation, survey, review, research and formulation of mechanisms for marine plastic litter management.

- Responsibilities: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall be in charge and cooperate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Transport, other relevant ministries and regulatory bodies and People’s Committees of coastal provinces.

- Implementation period: 2020 - 2030.

1. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of Governmental agencies and chairpersons of People’s Committees of coastal provinces shall proactively formulate plans and perform assigned tasks according to schedule and quality and efficiency requirements; submit reports on such tasks to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on an annual and quinquennial basis for reporting to the Prime Minister.

2. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall assist the Prime Minister with implementing the Plan, directing, supervising and expediting such implementation according to schedule and quality and efficiency requirements; and promoting international cooperation in marine plastic litter management; and submit assessments of the Plan on an annual and quinquennial basis to the Prime Minister.

3. The Ministry of Finance and People’s Committees of coastal provinces shall allocate funding for the Plan according to existing regulations on decentralized management of state budget.

The regulatory bodies assigned the Plan’s tasks shall proactively distribute the allocated funding and mobilize other funding sources according to regulations of laws to implement the Plan. 

4. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall take charge or cooperate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in mobilizing and selecting suitable sponsorships from other countries and international organizations to implement the Plan; proactively adopt conventions on marine plastic litter.

5. The Ministry of National Defense shall direct the Naval Force, Maritime Police and Border Guard to further cooperate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and other relevant ministries, regulatory bodies and localities in controlling and handling violations against laws on management of marine plastic litter.

6. Organizations of the Communist Party, the Vietnamese Fatherland Front and affiliates thereof, social organizations and socio-professional organizations shall proactively formulate programs, duties and projects for implementation of the Plan, and annually submit reports on such tasks to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for compilation.

The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, Central Committee of Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and Vietnam Women’s Unions at all levels shall continue to enhance their pioneering spirit, actively launch widespread movements and activities to fight against plastic waste, and cooperate with families, communities and the society in implementing guidelines, mechanisms and policies for mitigation of marine plastic litter.

7. The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry shall mobilize resources from the enterprise community and encourage enterprises to participate in movements for mitigation of marine plastic litter.

Article 2. This Decision takes effect from the date on which it is signed.