Vietnam facing challenges of e-waste: official

Nhan Dan/VNA - Vietnam’s high technology industry has made great strides over the recent years but also caused challenges to the environment and human health due to its production activities, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Bui Cach Tuyen has said.

Workers produce electronic components at Mtex Viet Nam Co Ltd
Workers produce electronic components at Mtex Viet Nam Co Ltd

At an international workshop on e-waste management in Hanoi on July 14, he said the sector generated US$25.5 billion in revenue in 2012, up 86.3 percent from a year earlier. Meanwhile, its exports grew by 82 percent to US$20 billion, accounting for 17.5 percent of the country’s total.

Deputy Minister Tuyen pointed out that e-waste in the country is usually recycled through outdated technology, and new products from such waste are only simple, such as bottles and plastic bags.

In August 2013, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung signed a decision regulating the collection and treatment of discarded products which aims to promote a safe and sustainable high-tech industry, the official added.

At the workshop, participants from such countries as Japan, Malaysia, the US, Canada, and Egypt discussed the management of e-waste around the world and sought ways to improve the work.