Industry associations propose adjusting the recycling fees. (Photo: Vietnamplus) Hanoi (VNA) – As of January 1, 2024, manufacturers and importers of tires, batteries, accumulators, lubricants, and packaging for certain products are obligated to carry out recycling responsibilities in accordance with the specified rates and recycling standards as outlined in the Environmental Protection Law and Government Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP. This initiative is aligned with the pursuit of a green economy and sustainable circular economy practices.
Phan Tuan Hung, head of the Legal Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said according to the Environmental Protection Law and Government Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP, manufacturing and importing enterprises are required to carry out product and packaging recycling at mandatory rates based on the total weight of the products and packaging they introduce to the market or import.
Specifically, the compulsory recycling rates for the first three years are set at 5% for tire treads, 8% for various types of vehicle batteries (such as Li, NiMH), 8-12% for accumulators (with lead-acid batteries at 12% and others at 8%).
The mandatory recycling rates for packaging range from 10-22%, glass bottles and jars at 15%, etc.
According to the regulations, the establishments responsible for packaging recycling are enterprises engaged in the production and imports of various products, including food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, fertilizer, livestock feed, veterinary medicines, cement, cleaning agents, and household products, as well as those used in agriculture and healthcare.
Producers and importers with total revenue from sales and services of below 30 billion VND (1.22 million USD) or total import value of below 20 billion VND (over 814,000 USD) (according to customs value) in the previous year are exempted from mandatory packaging recycling responsibilities.
Photo: Illustrative image (Photo: Vietnamplus) Regarding mandatory recycling regulations, Hung said businesses can choose from various recycling solutions.
For instance, for tire recycling, options include advanced technology tire retreading, cutting, recalling high-quality rubber powder.
Battery recycling can involve manufacturing metal blanks or industrial chemicals, producing recycled plastic pellets, or other plastic products.
For lubricants, companies can engage in recovering base oil or other types of oil, while packaging recycling solutions may vary based on different types. For instant, paper and cardboard packaging can be recycled into commercial pulp or paper products like tissue.
Aluminum packaging can be recycled into aluminum blanks or other products, plastic packaging can be recycled into recycled plastic pellets, used for different products like oil, etc.
Hung emphasizes that businesses can choose either self-organised recycling (handling it themselves, hiring a recycling service, or authorizing another party to organize the recycling) or contributing funds to the Vietnam Environmental Protection Fund to support recycling.
Notably, for electronic and electrical products, businesses must begin mandatory recycling responsibilities from January 1, 2025, and for automotive vehicles (cars and motorcycles), mandatory recycling responsibilities will start from January 1, 2027./.
