Ha Noi, 11 September 2025 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Viet Nam and the Norwegian Embassy in Hanoi, with support from the Norwegian Government, in collaboration with Viet Nam Agency of Seas and Islands (VASI) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) today held the workshop pioneering innovative solutions to reduce marine plastic pollution in Viet Nam and the ASEAN region.

The workshop marked the official closure of the Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge (EPPIC). It was an opportunity to reflect on five years of achievements, share lessons learned, and discuss how to scale up innovation for plastic circularity. The event brought together policy makers, innovators, incubators, investors, and development partners to sustain momentum and expand the future potential collaboration for effective solutions.

“Five years ago, we began an ambitious journey with the launch of the first Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenges. This initiative started at a crucial time when the global fight against plastic pollution was gaining momentum, and here in Viet Nam, the Government had just approved its National Action Plan on Marine Plastic Litter in December 2019,” said Francesca Nardini, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Viet Nam. “Today, I am honored to stand with you at this closing workshop to reflect on the remarkable journey we have shared and the significant achievement we have made together.”

Launched in 2019, EPPIC set out to find and support innovative ideas to stop plastic pollution at its source. Over five years, the Challenge attracted nearly 350 applications from across ASEAN. Forty-seven teams became finalists, and 12 winners received seed funding, training, and acceleration support. Collectively, these solutions prevented and treated about 3,500 tons of plastic from entering the environment. From GreenJoy’s grass straws in Viet Nam, to CIRAC’s solvent-free recycling technology in Thailand, Siklus’ refill stations in Indonesia, and TrashCash’s digital recycling platform in the Philippines, EPPIC has shown how innovation can power the circular economy. In Cambodia and Lao PDR, young innovators created eco-friendly products, upcycling initiatives, and solar-powered devices to keep plastic out of rivers and seas.

At the closing workshop, participants witnessed and discussed a transformative journey of plastic innovation landscape for over 5-year period (2020 – 2025) with key recommendations to increase investments for future opportunities. In addition, a dynamic pitch and matchmaking session connected innovators directly with corporate partners and impact investors, and explored collaborations and networking with the SEA-MaP platform, a new regional hub that combines an AI-powered financing marketplace, an accelerator, and a community of practice to expand solutions from national pilots to ASEAN-wide adoption.

Another focus of innovation and technology was on Transparent Markets for secondary materials. Experts from the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Agriculture and Environment (ISPAE) under MAE, together with GIZ, highlighted how trading secondary plastics and textiles through marketplaces can create new opportunities for circularity. Mr. Christian Schiller, Founder and CEO of Cirplus, shared global best practices for transparent and efficient plastic trading markets, pointing to pathways for Viet Nam to strengthen its role in regional plastic value chains.

“In line with our priority to combat marine litter and plastic pollution, Norway takes pride in supporting EPPIC from the very beginning” said Erlend Skutlaberg, First Secretary of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ha Noi. “EPPIC has had a multidimensional approach, combining innovation, policy development, and regional collaboration to strengthen local responses to one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, which efforts are also reinforced through Norway’s Sectoral Dialogue Partnership with ASEAN. EPPIC serves as a strong example of how regional collaboration can lead to innovations and deliver real impact, leading to reducing plastic waste and sustainable management of oceans – locally, regionally and internationally,” he continued.

“Marine plastic pollution is one of the most serious transboundary challenges, posing a major threat to coastal and marine ecosystems. Clearly, addressing this issue is not the responsibility of a single country, organization, or community. In response to this urgent need, the Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge (EPPIC), implemented by UNDP since 2020, has promoted innovative solutions to reduce marine plastic pollution across ASEAN and has achieved many positive results,” emphasized Nguyen Duc Toan, Director General of VASI, MAE.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Phan Huong Giang   
UNDP Media and Communications Analyst, Climate Change, Energy and Environment 
United Nations Development Programme
Email: phan.huong.giang@undp.org  
Mobile: 0948466688

Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh
Information and Communications Advisor
Norwegian Embassy in Hanoi
Email: Thi.kim.thanh.nguyen@mfa.no   
Mobile: 0904637298