CONSULTATION MEETING ON “THE ROLE OF THE INFORMAL WASTE WORKERS IN SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY (EPR)”
Event Type: Consultation meeting
Date & Time: Friday, March 08, 2024 | 8:00 – 17:00
Organizing Agency: UNDP, NPAP, IUCN, PROVN
Zoom Link: https://undp.zoom.us/j/82581903801 (ID: 825 8190 3801, Passcode: 003040)
Content
The 2020 Environmental Protection Law (LEP) introduces new regulations related to waste management, promoting a circular economy and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy. Implementing EPR will affect how waste is collected, sorted, and treated. In Vietnam, the informal sector plays a significant role in collection, transportation, and recycling. These informal waste collectors actively contribute by reducing environmental waste and alleviating the financial burden of waste management for cities.
Economic development has led to a rise in solid waste generation, but Vietnam struggles with effective waste segregation at source. This means valuable recyclable materials are often unusable due to improper sorting. Recently, the circular economy model has gained traction among policymakers and businesses. Consequently, there’s been a growing focus on the “nascent forms of the circular economy” – waste collectors who are receiving more societal support. Many initiatives are underway to assist these groups.
EPR mandates that manufacturers collect and recycle their products according to specific standards and rates. This policy aims to incentivize businesses to design environmentally friendly products, reduce waste generation, and facilitate collection and recycling processes. Additionally, it utilizes market mechanisms to support the recycling industry.
The implementation of EPR mechanisms is expected to significantly impact the waste management system, particularly informal waste workers (IWWs) involved in waste collection and recycling. EPR primarily focuses on the participation of formal sector businesses in plastic waste collection, recycling, and processing. This could significantly affect IWWs. Therefore, planning interventions and enforcing policies are crucial to not only ensure their livelihoods but also enable them to access, connect with, and benefit from EPR.
The informal sector should be guided to participate as a vital link in the plastic value chain, capitalizing on their strengths in waste collection. Under the influence of EPR, the quality of recyclables will improve, leading to higher prices. This will ensure livelihoods and income for the informal sector within the recycling ecosystem. While the informal sector has the potential to play a significant role in EPR, there are still limitations in understanding and supporting them.
In recent years, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Embassy of Canada have been active partners, coordinating actions and supporting Vietnam in implementing national strategies and action plans to reduce plastic waste. In 2024, Canada will host the 4th Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee of the Global Plastic Treaty.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam, through the National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) – Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Technical Working Group, in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) through the IUCN – PRO Vietnam Strategic Partnership Program, and the National EPR Office, will organize a consultation meeting on “The Role of Informal Waste Workers in Solid Waste Management and Implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)”.
Objectives
- Acknowledge the role of the informal waste workers in waste collection and recycling activities;
- Explore mechanisms and solutions for the informal waste workers to carry out collection activities for licensed recycling companies in accordance with EPR regulations;
- Discuss policy recommendations on just transition for the informal sector in Viet Nam, contributing to the negotiation of the Global Plastic Treaty
Tentative agenda Click here
