Video 1
04/12/2025
According to the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam, innovating waste-collection technology on rivers can prevent land-based plastics from entering the ocean.
According to UNDP, plastic pollution has become one of the most urgent global challenges, posing serious threats not only to the environment but also to human health—particularly for communities living in urban and coastal areas.
Updated UNDP statistics show that Vietnam generates around 3 million metric tons of municipal solid waste each year, with approximately 2.5% leaking into waterways. In Ho Chi Minh City alone, nearly 2,000 tons of plastic waste are discarded daily.
UNDP stresses that to effectively remove plastic waste from rivers and transport it to shore, Vietnam needs to soon establish clear technical and economic standards for waste collection and operational management, while ensuring full life-cycle oversight of plastics.
The UNDP representative emphasized the organization’s commitment to continuing cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City on solid-waste management projects—particularly source segregation of waste and the development of material recovery facilities (MRFs).
Based on these assessments, UNDP also highlighted the need for the Vietnamese Government to quickly完善 the legal framework to sustain and scale up river, canal, and waterway waste-collection solutions in other provinces. Strengthened public–private partnerships, along with international support, will be essential to accelerate the green transition and achieve Vietnam’s goal of reducing marine plastic waste by 75% by 2030.
