Hanoi (VNA) – A Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) to build public private collaboration towards circulareconomy in plastic waste management was signed in Hanoi on February 19.
The agreement, the first of its kind in Vietnam,was inked between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, DowChemical Co., Ltd. Vietnam (Dow Vietnam), Siam Cement Group (SCG), and UnileverVietnam International Co., Ltd. (Unilever Vietnam).
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources andEnvironment Vo Tuan Nhan said the average use of plastic per capita in Vietnamis not as high as that of developed countries in the world.
However, with a population of nearly 100million and an incomplete solid waste management infrastructure, plastic wastehas been a big challenge for developing countries like Vietnam, he said.
Being aware of the role and mission inaddressing the global plastic waste crisis, Vietnam as a responsible member ofthe United Nations has committed to taking actions to reduce plastic waste toprotect the marine ecological environment and oceans, Nhan said.
In December 2017, Vietnam officially joined thelist of 127 countries adopting a resolution of the UN Environment Assembly onaddressing plastic waste and marine debris.
At the expanded G7 Summit in Canada in 2018,Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc called for global cooperation in solving theocean plastics problem.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmenthas signed a protocol with the World Economic Forum on cooperation to tackleplastic waste, and established an anti-plastic coalition and packagingrecycling organization in Vietnam (PRO Vietnam).
After the signing ceremony, the ministry willset up a joint working group to build and carry out specific plans to raisepublic awareness of plastic waste mitigation./.