Conference discusses extended producer responsibility serving circular economy hinh anh 1At the conference (Photo: baotainguyenmoitruong.vn)
Hanoi (VNA) – A virtual conference took place in Hanoi on November 4, spotlighting the theme of promoting the implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) to support circular economy development in Vietnam.

The event was co-organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Centre for Supporting Green Development (GreenHub), the Vietnam Zero Waste Alliance (VZWA) and an advisory group on environmental law and policy e-policy (e-Policy).  

The seminar aimed to discuss and clarify some issues with different views related to the EPR mechanism in a draft decree guiding the implementation of a number of articles of the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection, which has been submitted to the Government for approval by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Participants touched upon a series of topics, including a mandatory recycling rate; the EPR office and council; the management and use of the environmental protection fund; and the role of non-state environmental and social organisations in the EPR mechanism.

Nguyen Thi, secretary of the EPR working group under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said the current waste collection and recycling are mainly done by urban environmental companies of provinces, some recycling firms and a number of facilities from the private sector.

Therefore, stakeholders involved should promote the construction of infrastructure for such collection and recycling according to the planning to meet requirements for the operation of the EPR system, he added.

He also highlighted the need to create conditions for the development of modern and concentrated recycling facilities.

The ministry plans to delay the process of recycling some products and packaging to January 1, 2024 at the earliest, and some others to January 1, 2025, saying the roadmap for conducting recycling responsibility as stated in the a draft decree is suitable. /.
VNA