HCM City wants to stop the production and import of single-use plastic products, non-biodegradable plastic bags and microplastic items to lower plastic waste pollution and treatment cost by 2030. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Nam

HCM CITY — HCM City is striving to stop the production and import of single-use plastic products, non-biodegradable plastic bags and microplastic items to lower plastic waste pollution and treatment costs.

The municipal’s People’s Committee has issued a plan on strengthening the management, reduction, reuse, recycling and treatment of plastic waste in the city in the period of 2022-2025, with a vision to 2030.

Accordingly, the city will eliminate the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags and single-use plastic products, excluding products intended for export or packaging of other goods, and products certified with eco-labels.

It targets to reduce 75 per cent of plastic waste on the Cần Giờ beach, and end the disposal of fishing gear directly into the sea.

It will implement preferential policies to support the production of environmentally friendly products, and encourage the reuse and recycling of plastic waste.

A road map will soon be developed for increasing the environmental protection tax on non-biodegradable plastic bags and supplementing the environmental protection tax on single-use plastic products.

The city will also soon issue rules for agencies, offices and establishments to minimise the use of single-use plastic products and non-biodegradable plastic bags and packaging in events and activities.

It continues to target using 100 per cent environmentally friendly plastic bags and packaging at shopping centres, supermarkets, traditional markets, hotels, tourist accommodation establishments and tourist attractions.

About 9,000-9,500 tonnes of domestic solid waste is discharged into the environment daily in the city, according to the city’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Of that, 20-25 per cent are recyclable items such as plastic packaging, paper, and metal.

Suffering great pressure from an increasing amount of plastic waste, the city has implemented many drastic solutions in the management, reduction, reuse, recycling and treatment of plastic waste.

State agencies and State-owned companies are required to take the lead in the reduction and recycling of plastic waste and ban single-use plastic items such as bottles, straws and containers.

In fact, the city’s environmental management still faces challenges in sorting, recycling and treating plastic waste.

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Mỹ, deputy head of city’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said the city is focusing on solutions to reduce the use of single-use plastic products by promoting production and consumption of products made from natural and environment-friendly materials.

The city is stepping up to ensure 100 per cent of its domestic solid waste is classified by source and at least 80 per cent of it is recycled for compost fertilizer or burned for electricity by 2025, she said.

The city is also strengthening inspection and handling of violations relating to sanitation and environmental protection, and the indiscriminate littering of waste in public places.

It is also taking steps to adopt advanced waste-treatment technologies. It will invest in solid waste treatment with advanced technologies that save energy and protect the environment, and seeks recycling technology that makes recycled products suited to the consumption habits of each locality.

Local waste-treatment facilities have been encouraged to switch to waste-to-energy technologies. — VNS