Vietnam Seeks to Check Plastic Bag Pollution

In an article published by Eco-Business.com yesterday, VietnamNet reports that Dang Van Loi of the Department of Pollution Control has made his intentions to tighten control on plastic bags clear. According to the article, Loi's plans include tighter control over plastic bags from production to consumption to recovery, as well as the promotion of more environmentally friendly, reusable options. 

The scheme sets a target that by 2020, 35 per cent of the non-biodegradable plastic bags used in daily life will be recovered and recycled into environmentally-friendly products.

In addition, by 2020, plastic bags used at supermarkets and shopping malls will be slashed by 65 per cent against 2010, while the number of plastic bags used at traditional markets will be reduced 40 per cent.

In Ho Chi Minh City, approximately 50 tons of plastic bags are discharged into the environment each day, amounting to approximately 30 billion bags per year. With the help of new environmental measures, these figures could be significantly limited. To learn more about the planned plastic bag legislation in HCMC and Vietnam, please see the full article on Eco-Business.com here.