This information was shared by Ramla Khalidi, the UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam, at the 2025 Plastic Innovation Program, co-organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 25/6. According to Khalidi, in 2024, Vietnam's innovation sector attracted nearly 2.3 billion USD in investment deals, including approximately 240,000 USD in seed funding.
To achieve effective innovation, the UNDP representative suggested Vietnam needs to diversify its ecosystem. "This means moving beyond materials and technology to invest in new financial tools, connecting public and private resources, and fostering development. By mobilizing startups, large corporations, universities, and small and medium-sized enterprises, we can accelerate entrepreneurship and scale up solutions," Khalidi recommended.
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An electric-assisted garbage cart featured at the 2025 Plastic Innovation Program. Photo: Gia Chinh |
An electric-assisted garbage cart featured at the 2025 Plastic Innovation Program. Photo: Gia Chinh
Le Cong Thanh, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that in recent years, Vietnam has enacted numerous policies and plans to promote recycling and reduce plastic waste.
However, "many challenges remain in managing and minimizing plastic waste in Vietnam", the official acknowledged. These include a lack of consistency in waste sorting at the source, the prevalent use of single-use plastics, and the high cost of technological innovation.
"Laws and strategies are in place, but enforcement is limited. Policies on the circular economy and extended producer responsibility are still new, source separation infrastructure is inconsistent, the habit of using single-use plastics is still widespread, and collection and recycling are not highly effective," Thanh said. He added that addressing this issue requires strong motivation from the creative community and innovative models to promote the transition towards a circular economy.
The World Bank (WB) estimates that Vietnam generates about 3.1 million tons of plastic waste on land annually, with about 0.28 to 0.73 million tons ending up in the ocean. This makes Vietnam one of the largest contributors to marine plastic pollution globally. The failure to recover and recycle plastic costs Vietnam approximately 3 billion USD per year.
The 2025 Plastic Innovation Program attracted 116 proposals, from which the organizers selected 25 creative ideas to participate in the incubation phase. The 12 most outstanding ideas will be recognized and receive 30,000 USD in support.
Gia Chinh
