At the conference, delegates listened to in-depth opinions from experts, managers, and those directly involved in environmental protection work.
According to Cao Minh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Natural Resources and Environment Communication Centre, the world currently discharges 29 million tonnes of plastic waste into the sea annually, equivalent to 50 kilogrammes per metre along coastlines worldwide.
In Vietnam, plastic consumption is 41 kilogrammes per person per year, ranking third in ASEAN, with plastic waste accounting for 13% of total household waste. If in 2010, there were about 1.8 million tonnes of unmanaged plastic waste, by 2025, this number could increase to 4.2 million tonnes.
Tuan stressed that plastic waste greatly affects human health, with toxins potentially entering the human body through microplastics, increasing the risk of cancer, asthma, infertility and mental disorders.
Sharing the same concern about microplastics, journalist Do Doan Hoang stated that Vietnamese people are facing a disaster with plastic waste, with the amount of microplastic waste entering the human body equivalent to an ATM card.
To combat the plastic waste crisis, many localities across the country have refused to pay for plastic product usage. According to the national action plan on marine plastic waste management until 2030, Vietnam aims to reduce marine plastic waste by 50% by 2025 and 75% by 2030.
The conference aims to enhance public and business awareness about the importance of reducing plastic waste, especially in the fresh and frozen food industries, while disseminating policies and solutions for plastic reduction, working towards a sustainable living environment.
