According to Tran Thi Hoa, Director of the Centre for Green Support Development (GreenHub), one of the biggest obstacles is the low cost and convenience of single-use plastic items. At markets, plastic bags are often handed out for free, and customers sometimes even ask for extras. Although public awareness of the environmental and health impacts of excessive plastic use has improved in recent years, many people still maintain old consumption habits.

While the government has introduced a roadmap to phase out single-use plastics, turning policy into everyday practice requires more than just regulation. It demands coordinated communication, education, and behavioral change, as well as better collaboration among projects with similar goals.

Hoa noted that many initiatives still work separately without coordination, limiting their long-term impact and sustainability.”

Some argue that effective reduction of plastic use depends on having alternative products. Although many eco-friendly substitutes have been introduced and piloted, Hoa cautioned that not all are truly sustainable. For example, producing paper bags consumes considerable resources, and they’re rarely reused more than once. Reusability, she stressed, is key to making alternatives environmentally viable.

Ultimately, the most crucial factor lies in changing consumer behavior, starting with reducing unnecessary consumption at the source. This means thinking carefully before using a product and saying no to what’s not essential. Greater emphasis is needed on public communication, robust policies targeting upstream waste reduction, and integrating reuse solutions with technology-based approaches.

GreenHub and other environmental organizations, Hoa said, are continuing to carry out new projects and programs aimed at cutting plastic waste more effectively and sustainably in the long term.

Project helps minimise impact of plastic waste on coastal communities

Plastic waste in Vietnam does not remain stationary but moves from inland areas and rivers to the coast, posing serious economic and environmental threats, especially to fisheries and tourism.