Nearly 3,500 tons of plastic were prevented from being released directly into the environment.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Toan - Director of Vietnam Sea and Islands Administration.

At the closing workshop of the Plastic Pollution Reduction Innovation Challenge (EPPIC) Project, organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment , Ms. Francesca Nardini - Deputy Representative of UNDP Vietnam, said that in the past 5 years, nearly 3,500 tons of plastic have been prevented from being released directly into the environment.

The EPPIC project was “born” in 2020 - a time when the global fight against plastic pollution was becoming increasingly urgent. In Vietnam, on December 4, 2019, the Prime Minister also issued Decision No. 1746/QD-TTg on promulgating the National Action Plan on Ocean Plastic Waste Management until 2030.

Therefore, the Plastic Pollution Reduction Innovation Challenge Project is expected to promote local initiatives while connecting with global trends.

Ms. Francesca Nardini said that over the past 5 years, the EPPIC project has attracted 350 idea profiles from ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, with many breakthrough solutions put into practical application.

Some typical initiatives include GreenJoy grass straws (Vietnam), CIRAC solvent-free recycling technology (Thailand), Siklus consumer product refilling stations (Indonesia), and TrashCash digital recycling platform (Philippines).

The above initiatives and models have demonstrated the role of innovation in promoting the circular economy while opening up new livelihood opportunities for the community through the development of environmentally friendly products.

More than 40 teams and groups with initiatives have received support through incubation programs; 12 teams received incubation grants worth 18,000 USD each. In addition, the Plastic Pollution Reduction Innovation Challenge Project has raised more than 700,000 USD from investors and innovation support funds.

Delegates attending the workshop took a souvenir photo.

In Vietnam, many pilot activities have also been deployed, from a “trash hunting” mobile application that helps the community detect and collect waste, to testing a deposit-return mechanism (DRS) and co-processing 100 tons of non-recyclable plastic waste.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Toan - Director of the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands said that in the coming time, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment hopes to continue receiving the companionship of the United Nations Development Program, the support of the Norwegian Government, and international partners in promoting a sustainable marine economy.

In particular, in the context of many coastal provinces and cities restructuring their administration and expanding development space, Mr. Toan expressed his belief that international technical and financial support will make an important contribution to improving the livelihoods of coastal communities, while reducing environmental pressure.

Appreciating the multidimensional nature of the project, Mr. Erlend Skutlaberg, First Secretary of the Norwegian Embassy shared: “EPPIC has combined innovation, policy development and regional cooperation to strengthen the capacity to respond to one of the most pressing issues today. The figures clearly demonstrate that regional cooperation can bring innovation and create real impact, from the local, regional to international levels.”

According to Mr. Hoang Thanh Vinh, program manager of UNDP Vietnam, the results of EPPIC will continue to contribute and closely link with the current policy framework including: Law on Environmental Protection; extended responsibility of producers; Decision 1407/QD-TTg on the global plastic pollution treaty; National action plan to implement circular economy according to Decision 222/QD-TTg.

EPPIC’s pilots and trials are also paving the way for scalable solutions such as secondary materials markets, co-processing of hard-to-recycle plastic waste, building material recovery facilities, and source separation.

The UNDP representative also emphasized that EPPIC is contributing to envisioning a future with reduced plastic pollution, where effective waste management techniques and potential circular economy initiatives will flourish.

PV (synthesis)

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/gan-3-500-tan-nhua-duoc-ngan-chan-tranh-phat-thai-truc-tiep-ra-moi-truong-520525.html