Ha Noi, 11 August 2026 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through the Viet Nam National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) and the Viet Nam Circular Economy Hub (CE Hub), organized the workshop “Pathways for a Robust Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) System in Viet Nam”.

The workshop brought together the Viet Nam Environment Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, along with representatives from government agencies, development partners, research institutes, industry associations, businesses, waste collectors, recyclers and other relevant stakeholders.

The workshop took place as Viet Nam is revising the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection and its implementing regulations, with further improvements to EPR policy forming an important part of this process. It provided an opportunity to take stock of implementation, draw on international experience, and discuss solutions for building an EPR system that is more effective, transparent and suited to Viet Nam’s context.

EPR is an important policy instrument for supporting the transition from traditional waste management towards a circular economy. It extends the responsibility of producers and importers for products and packaging across their life cycle, from design, material selection and consumption to post-consumer collection and recycling.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Tang The Cuong, Director General of the Viet Nam Environment Agency, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, emphasized: “EPR should not be viewed simply as a financial obligation of producers, but as a mechanism that creates incentives for businesses to change the way they design products, select materials, organize collection and recycling, and invest in circular economy solutions.”

Viet Nam has made important progress in establishing and implementing EPR. However, experience to date shows that the mechanism needs to be further strengthened to operate more effectively and transparently, while creating stronger incentives for collection and recycling markets. Under the directions currently being developed by the Viet Nam Environment Agency, the new regulations would strengthen the role of the private sector in fulfilling EPR obligations, with the State playing an enabling role and establishing the framework for implementation.

One of the key changes being proposed in the draft Law is a roadmap to phase out the financial contribution option for fulfilling recycling obligations. Under this direction, producers and importers would be required to directly organize the collection and recycling of post-consumer products and packaging, or fulfil their obligations through recyclers or Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs).

In her opening remarks, Ms. Francesca Nardini, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Viet Nam, noted that Viet Nam’s establishment of the EPR framework marked an important step towards a circular economy. The next challenge is to build an EPR system that can operate effectively, sustainably and in line with market dynamics.

Ms. Nardini emphasized: “Because ultimately, EPR is about more than compliance and recycling targets. It is about changing how resources move through the economy—creating value from materials that would otherwise become waste, encouraging investment and innovation, and building a more circular and resource-efficient Viet Nam.”

At the workshop, Dr. Fritz Flanderka, Managing Director of Reclay Group, shared international experience on key considerations for building an effective EPR system. Experience from different countries shows that there is no single EPR model that works everywhere. While the core principle is to shift responsibility for post-consumer packaging and products to the private sector, the design and implementation of EPR need to reflect each country’s institutional and market conditions, as well as its collection and recycling capacity.

A key area of discussion was the role of Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs). International experience suggests that PROs can play a central role in EPR implementation, connecting producers with collection, sorting and recycling systems. For the system to operate effectively, PRO responsibilities, minimum requirements and oversight mechanisms need to be clearly defined.

In line with this direction, Viet Nam’s draft policy is considering specific requirements for PROs regarding collection capacity, financial capacity, electronic data management systems and separate accounting. Discussions at the workshop also considered PROs as authorized organizations acting on behalf of producers and importers and accountable under the law for organizing and coordinating collection, transportation, sorting and the transfer of products and packaging to recyclers; managing and verifying recycling volumes; and undertaking declarations, reporting and independent audits. The objective is to establish a legal basis for PROs to operate professionally, transparently and with effective oversight.

The workshop also discussed a roadmap for adjusting mandatory recycling rates over time, taking into account the development of collection capacity, recycling technologies and practical conditions. This approach aims to provide greater predictability and enable businesses to better plan long-term investments and fulfil their recycling responsibilities.

Drawing on international experience and its work in Viet Nam, UNDP also highlighted four areas for consideration as the country continues to strengthen and implement EPR: increasing industry ownership; promoting the development of PROs as a central part of the EPR system; progressively increasing recycling targets in line with the readiness of different material streams and practical conditions; and ensuring an inclusive transition that recognizes the contribution of informal waste workers and enables them to participate in and benefit from the collection and recycling system.

Following presentations on international experience and Viet Nam’s policy directions, much of the workshop was dedicated to discussions on specific product and packaging groups covered by EPR, including packaging; electronics and batteries; and vehicles, tyres and lubricants. The outcomes of these discussions were presented and consolidated in plenary to identify practical implementation challenges and propose solutions to inform the ongoing process of strengthening Viet Nam’s EPR policy.

Media Inquiries:
Phan Huong Giang   
UNDP Media and Communications Analyst, Climate Change, Energy and Environment 
Email: phan.huong.giang@undp.org 
Mobile: 0948466688