Coastal Clean Ups in Vietnam –

Looking Backwards and Facing

Forward

Enabling Sustainable Communities

Nguyen Thi Thu Trang - 6 International Marine Debris Conferences,

San Diego, Mar 2018

Contents

1. Vietnam waste management, marine debris, plastic pollution

2. Clean ups in Vietnam looking back

3. Showcases of GreenHub-Vietnamese NGOs activities to address the

issues of marine debris

4. Facing forwards - Recommendations and actions for clean-up activities

5. Implications for wider marine debris waste management challenges,

and issues of plastic pollution.

Vietnam Waste Management – Situational Analysis

~55.9 mil people in coastal provinces (94 mil), increasing 12% per year (est)

Ton waste/year from various sources; 50% is from municipal sources; 1% hazardous,

0.79 waste gen. rate kg/ppd

30 mil

towns/cities are using non-sanitary landfills;

10% waste recovered for recycling or reuse

85%

Waste generated in Red River Delta; Melong delta; East Southern & Centre Coast (19%)

62%

Street food businesses.

5,300+

VIETNAM - Annual GDP growth ~6%

Nguyen, 2013

62%

Clean ups in Vietnam looking back • Before 2000: clean-up beach consider as one part of regular sanitation

• 2000: First international clean up (with support from Coca-Cola in Khanh Hoa province (First ICC in 1985 in US with Ocean Conservancy)

• 2001-2016: > 150 sites from 28 provinces with regular involvement of the Women’s Union, Youth Union, Farmer and Fisher Associations, and students from schools and colleges, NGOs, international organisation and business sectors (2015 with Jambeck report)

• 2016-2017: Increasing actions and interest from stakeholders (the Body Shop, GreenHub, Clean and Green Vietnam)

Data from Ocean Conservancy & GreenHub, 2017

10,454 Volunteers

92,353 Pounds of trash

40 miles

Clean ups locations and actors 2000-2017

GOVERNMENTS AND MASS ORGANIZATIONS:

Youth unions (19 provinces)

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, NGOS & VOLUNTEER GROUPS, MEDIA (9)

FFI; MCD, Greenhub IUCN, Evergreen Labs, V’Spirit, AMDI,

VTV24

BUSSINESS AS CSR PROGRAMME (12) Coca-Cola; Intel, Dell, Yamaha Motor

Vietnam, Paradise Vietnam, Auco Cruise; HG Group; Adidas; BTMU Bank; Amways

Top locations:

Ha Long, Hai Phong, Da Nang; Nha Trang, Hue, Phu Quoc , Vung Tau (tourism destination)

Others cities/province: Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Can Tho.

~41,000 (actual data)/ 10,454 volunteers (data from OC)

Be parts of international initiatives: ICC-OC; Let do it the world, Clean-up Vietnam.

Marine debris: Cleanups item found in analysis of 2000-2017

Polystyrene Foam and Plastic Bags Accounts for 29% and 27% of found items

items

115,276

Plastic (1-2-4-6-7-10-Others; GreenHub 2017)

71%

waste collection in rural areas rate (MONRE)

40-55% 83%

Marine Debris data – Clean up (Ocean Conservancy, GreenHub)

% mismanaged waste; 5.8 % of total mismanaged plastic waste

Plastic marine debris [MMT/year]: 0.28-0.73

);

all waste generated in Vietnam is recovered for recycling or reuse

10%

29%

27%

10%

6%

4%

3%

3%

2%

2%

2%

13%

1 Buoys (polystyrens)/Floats 2 Bags(Plastic)3 Tobacco Packaging/Wrap 4 Beverage Bottles (Plastic)5 Food Wrappers/Containers 6 Balloons7 Straws, Stirrers 8 Clothing, Shoes9 Beverage Bottles (Glass) 10 Cigarette Butts10 Others

Clean ups in Vietnam looking back - challenges

Clean up in Vietnam challenges

Lack of national coordination for data collection and monitoring program

Do not have national protocol for monitoring

Voluntary based or project based activities: not regularly conducts & lack of commitment

Facing challenges

Lack of accurate data of solid waste, marine debris, plastic pollution & micro-plastic in Vietnam

Policies do exist but overlaps and conflicts still remain; lack of enforcement

Solid waste Management challenges

Overlaps in functions and responsibilities of relevant ministries and agencies

Waste is not separated at sources (only pilot 3R in some areas)

Recycling: small-sized, spontaneous, difficult to control, applying backward technologies (particularly in craft villages)

GreenHub – VNGOs working: Sustainability Opportunities

Based on UN Sustaibality Goals, GreenHub focuses on: #11, #13 and #14.

GreenHub takes actions

raise consumer awareness and influencing behavioral change to reduce, reuse, and recycle (3R’s) waste,

marine debris monitoring and Coastal Clean-up Campaigns

As part of global research with CSIRO; and national programme of MONRE

Experiences from GreenHub- Showcase 1 from Ha Long Bay cleanup:

Data management and Advocacy

Marine debris monitoring & Coastal cleanup for a sustainable marine ecosystem - Ha Long Bay

220 Volunteers

2.2km

of coastline cleaned

1570 Kg debris removed so far

The efforts of this alliance have resulted in the Ha long Bay city Peoples Committee Banning the use of polystyrene and calling for the implementation of an environmentally friendly alternative.

1. Awareness & Engagement with 1,000 youth during the Recycling Day organized by DONRE Hanoi (Sept, 2017); 2. Greenovation Challenges – 05 selected ideas from students

3Rs products marketing at the Recycling Day organized by Vietnam Women Academic (Oct ‘17)

Experiences from GreenHub - Showcase 2: Stakeholders engagement

Local initiatives and be parts of global action with stakeholders engagement

- Monitoring and Research activity: Quantifying flows of plastic and other debris from land-land based sources to the ocean - Models of community plastic recycling & replacement of plastic using (polystyrene)

- Sharing information and exchange ideas/advocacy for local policies

Recommendations and implications for land-based solutions

Data collection

Standard protocol

Mobile App

Coordination

Mapping locations of hot-spots with marine debris; plastic pollution

Use ICC/location from OC for coordinating clean-ups

Organize clean-ups based on hot-spot locations (beach, coastal lands, watersheds and in waterway)

Facing forwards – Clean ups & solutions for marine debris

Network & Policy National Network of mind-liked organizations; & mobilize local volunteers

Data analysis and dissemination and Dialogues with local gov;

International monitoring for sea-based marine debris (Regional level- with China, Southeast Asia)

Local policies: e.g banning plastic bag (2020), single use; enforcements

Developing, implementing the National Action

Plan on Marine Debris;

Towards reducing

marine debris in Vietnam

education-based program Innovation: Cleanup system or trash bin at bigger scale

(OceanCleanup);

Facing forwards – Land based strategies • Innovative material and product design (organic plastic: available technology in domestic)

•Waste to Energy opportunities; Synergy production through support measures and policies.

Cleaner production

•waste was separated and then collected or composted

• plastic re-purpose and recycling in sustainable supply chain

•Capacity building for 3R implementation to support and encourage private sector expertise for green industries

•Mainstreaming 3Rs into schools as well as informal education;

•Consider gender issues in 3R activities

1. Details local policies for implementation national strategy for integrated management of solid waste up to 2025, with a vision to 2050: To collect and treat up to environmental standards 100% of daily life solid waste in urban centers, 90% of which will be recycled, reused, recovered energy or used for organic fertilizer production

2. Supporting for business opportunities and sharing economy

3. Strong partnerships among governments, business , citizen & NGOs

Land based strategies – Solid waste Management towards to Zero- waste

Source reduction, reuse

and recycling practices

Contact us:

TRANG NGUYEN

Planning and Investment Ministry Building, Office # 1008 No. 8 Ton That Thuyet Street, Hanoi, Vietnam

• p: (+84 4) 629 26764;

• P: (+84) 988366070;

• m: trang.nguyen@greenhub.org.vn

• w: greenhub.org.vn

• f: @GreenHub.org.vn

Thank you and join collaboration