From January 1, 2024, businesses that produce and import tires, batteries, accumulators, lubricants, and commercial packaging of some products will have to carry out recycling responsibilities according to the rate and specifications. Compulsory recycling according to the provisions of the Law on Environmental Protection and Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP of the Government.
Industries must recycle products and packaging
According to the provisions of the Law on Environmental Protection and Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP, manufacturing and importing enterprises must recycle products and packaging according to the mandatory recycling rate on the total volume of products and packaging produced by enterprises that are marketed or imported.
Accordingly, the mandatory recycling rate for the first 3 years for tires and tubes is 5%; Batteries used for vehicles (such as Li, NiMH) and batteries used for electrical and electronic devices are 8%; The mandatory recycling rate for batteries is from 8-12%, depending on the type (of which lead batteries are 12%, other types of batteries are 8%).
The required recycling rate for packaging is from 10-22%, depending on the type (such as carton paper is 20%, mixed paper packaging is 15%, aluminum packaging is 22%, PET plastic packaging is 22%, iron and other metal packaging 20%); 15% glass bottles, jars, boxes...
Subjects responsible for recycling packaging are businesses that produce and import products: Food, cosmetics, medicine, fertilizer, animal feed, veterinary medicine, cement, detergents, and preparations for household, agricultural, and medical use.
Particularly, for manufacturing and importing enterprises with total revenue from sales and service provision in the previous year of less than 30 billion VND or with a total import value (calculated by customs value) of less than 20 billion VND are not responsible for packaging recycling.
According to current regulations, manufacturing and importing enterprises can choose many recycling solutions regarding mandatory recycling specifications. For example, for tires and tubes, businesses can apply recycling solutions such as making high-tech glued tires, cutting and recovering rubber powder as aggregate, or distilling it into oil.
For rechargeable batteries, businesses can apply recycling solutions such as producing metal ingots or industrial chemicals, Producing recycled plastic pellets or by-products from plastic such as commercial chemicals, heavy oil, and synthetic gas as raw materials, and producing fuel for industries...
For lubricant oil, manufacturing and importing businesses can apply recycling solutions such as distillation to recover base oil or other oil types or distillation to recover oil fractions. With packaging, companies can use different recycling solutions depending on the type of packaging (For example, paper packaging and cardboard can be recycled by producing commercial pulp or paper products such as toilet paper, paperboard, and paper boxes).
For aluminum packaging, businesses can apply recycling solutions by producing aluminum billets or other products; Plastic packaging can be recycled to make recycled plastic beads and other products such as oil, fiber, etc.
According to regulations, manufacturing and importing enterprises can choose one of two methods to carry out recycling responsibilities. The first method is to organize recycling yourself (recycle yourself, hire a recycling unit, or authorize another party to manage recycling). The second method is to pay the Viet Nam Environmental Protection Fund for recycling support. Particularly for electrical and electronic products, according to the roadmap, manufacturing and importing enterprises will carry out mandatory recycling responsibilities from January 1, 2025, and enterprises manufacturing and importing vehicles (cars and motorbikes) will carry out mandatory recycling responsibilities from January 1, 2027.
Management agencies' actions
A representative of the Department of Legal Affairs (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) said that, as the governing agency in the environment, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has recently presided over coordination with ministries and sectors.
Relevant completion of relevant regulations and institutions to implement extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations such as the establishment of the National EPR Council, and National EPR Council Office; Submit to the Prime Minister the cost of recycling products and packaging (referred to as Fs); Develop regulations on management and use of contributions from manufacturers and importers to support recycling and waste treatment and develop the National EPR Information Portal.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has also built an online registration, declaration, and reporting system. From this system, manufacturers and importers will register, declare, and report on the Electronic Information Portal. from the national EPR without sending a paper copy to the Ministry; Organize popularization and training classes for manufacturers, importers, and recyclers nationwide.
In particular, the Ministry has announced a list of organizations authorized to organize the recycling of products and packaging. Accordingly, Packaging Recycling Joint Stock Company - PRO Viet Nam and Viet Nam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (VAMM) are two units authorized by the Ministry to carry out packaging recycling in the territory of Viet Nam. Organizations certified to recycle must be responsible before the law for the information provided. The authorized party may not directly recycle or own a relationship with any recycling unit related to the scope of authorization. This is to ensure independence and quality in the recycling process.
The survey by the authorities also shows that many domestic businesses are currently ready and proactively implementing many solutions to carry out their responsibility to recycle products and packaging.
Recommendations from experts
Experts and environmental managers believe that for the implementation of EPR to be effective, efficient, and sustainable in Viet Nam, the Government, ministries, and sectors need to continue to develop and complete mechanisms and policies to support and encourage manufacturers and importers to fulfill their responsibilities.
The National EPR Council Office needs to increase exchange experiences related to issues of associations and businesses in implementing detailed regulations on the responsibility of expanding manufacturers and importers such as: Subjects, implementation form, roadmap, registration, declaration and reporting of recycling results, sanctions for handling violations, consultation and proposal of recycling norms (Fs)... Thereby helping the businesses better grasp the responsibility for collecting and treating waste throughout the product's life cycle from design, production, consumption, and disposal.
Many experts believe that Viet Nam has a comprehensive foundation, providing a clear roadmap for the upcoming years of EPR implementation. However, these regulations need to be continuously monitored and evaluated so that adjustments can be made to increase the chances of successful implementation of EPR regulations.