Beginning with research

The story began in 2020, with the initial phase of research focusing on consumer behavior concerning single-use plastics. This task was assigned to the VASI and the Centre for Natural Resources and Environment Communication (CNREC) in collaboration with WWF. Preliminary research revealed that while people in Vietnam were aware of the dangers posed by plastic pollution, they tended to rely more on government policies and actions to drive change rather than taking personal initiative. The lack of knowledge about the negative impacts of plastic pollution was identified as one of the greatest barriers to behavior change, surpassing other challenges such as habit, the lack of alternatives to plastic, and the low cost and convenience of plastic. The research provided valuable insights into consumer awareness, attitudes, and practices, identifying the gap between awareness, attitudes, and actions. This served as essential data for building strategies and communication activities aligned with WWF's objectives.

According to a report by WWF, from 2021 to 2023, the Ocean Plastic Waste Database Platform, with various thematic branches, has been developed and operated

In the nine provinces and cities involved in the study (Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Phu Yen, Long An, Kien Giang, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau), each locality conducted 250 quantitative surveys, with some carrying out surveys in both a commune and a ward, while others limited their research to just one location. In total, 2,274 surveys were collected, and 84 individuals participated in interviews. The research was meticulously conducted with adherence to sociological investigation principles.

Research on single-use plastic consumption behavior is ongoing and conducted periodically to evaluate changes in consumer behaviors year by year. This facilitates the development of adaptable and timely behavior change communication strategies. The research also collaborates with media agencies and social organizations to expand its reach across diverse populations in various regions nationwide.

Building strategy and organizing communication campaigns

In 2021, the project launched a communication strategy based on initial research results and set objectives. The social and behavioral change communication (SBCC) model was adopted to influence knowledge, attitudes, norms, beliefs, and behaviors within the project’s scope. The communication plan was built around three core strategies: Behavior change communication, community and social participation mobilization, and supporting the development of regulations and guidelines on plastic waste management.

Numerous workshops were organized to gather feedback on the effectiveness of communication efforts. In 2020 and 2021, WWF-Vietnam launched the message “Reject and reduce single-use plastic products” during Earth Hour campaigns. In 2021, Earth Hour reached 5,174,350 people, with 217,902 interactions on social media, 17+ media partnerships, and 150+ locations turning off lights during the event. The message was featured in 48 news articles, 30 broadcasts on national television (VTV1, VTV2), and local stations, alongside support from 63 provinces. The project’s financial and technical contributions to Earth Hour raised public awareness on plastic waste reduction, as measured by the project’s I.1 and I.2 indicators.

The campaign gained support from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and 19 prominent figures from various fields. Activities included promoting plastic waste reduction messages through Earth Hour’s social media platforms (reaching over 2.6 million people), the “Today’s Issue” program, the “Good Morning” show, the “Green Future” talk show, and a series of reports on plastic waste aired on VTV1.

Raising personal and organizational responsibility

In 2021, the project launched a major communication campaign with the message: Reducing plastic waste is an immediate responsibility for everyone— for the health of oneself, loved ones, and the environment. The campaign reached over 30 articles, was broadcast on television, and included three video products. A song promoting the campaign was shared with over 1.4 million views on WWF-Vietnam's YouTube channel and the project’s website.

To engage young and traditional consumers nationwide, the project incorporated Vietnam’s folk culture in the campaign. Messages were creatively communicated through traditional-style propaganda paintings, playful proverbs, and rap songs crafted from consumer-generated proverbs.

In 2022, the Green SEA Games campaign was launched during the 31st Southeast Asian Games to raise public awareness about plastic pollution and promote plastic reduction practices among stakeholders. Over the four days of the event, nearly one ton of plastic waste was collected at My Dinh Stadium and the National Convention Center, including around 200kg of high-value plastics (PET and HDPE). Additionally, social media, TV, and press outreach attracted more than a million fans nationwide.

The campaign, implemented by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, has rolled out several plastic reduction initiatives. These include the production and distribution of communication products such as posters and digital handbooks, along with the launch of the 'Trash for gifts' program—a new model introduced during this year’s SEA Games.

Additionally, numerous other campaigns aimed at reducing plastic waste in various sectors have been simultaneously organized. The plastic reduction campaign in the fisheries sector, with the message "Reduce ocean plastic waste— For life and livelihoods!", has achieved notable results. These include 16 featured articles, 8 reports in the Agriculture Newspaper targeting farmers, fishermen, and aquaculture workers, and 4 radio segments broadcast at fish ports such as Tho Quang in Da Nang and Phu Lac, Dong Tac, Dan Phuoc, and Tien Chau in Phu Yen province between November 27 and December 2. Furthermore, 4 TV reports aired on Agriculture TV News, and 12 billboards and banners were displayed at public areas and entrances to fish ports. Direct communication efforts also reached over 200 fishermen at these ports, distributing informational handbooks.

This initiative is the result of collaboration between the project and the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The campaign was designed and implemented to raise awareness and change public attitudes toward ocean plastic pollution. The project also designed and widely distributed the “Eliminating ghost gear” handbook, which addresses the issue of abandoned or lost fishing gear in the ocean—considered one of the most dangerous forms of plastic waste for marine ecosystems. In addition, many direct outreach activities have been carried out in the communities of fishermen and aquaculture workers in Phu Yen and Da Nang.

In localities like Tan An (Long An), the at-source waste segregation campaign has been successfully implemented with the theme “Waste segregation for humanity”. This initiative has reached over 300,000 people through social media, with 125,000 video views and 13 published articles on various news outlets.

The campaign, executed by the project in partnership with the Long An Department of Natural Resources and Environment, conveyed messages through folk culture materials, which were both unique and familiar to local people. Rhythmic folk songs and proverbs were creatively “recycled” into promotional posters to encourage citizens to practice waste sorting in daily life.

In 2022, the "responsible tourism campaign for Con Dao" with the message “Don’t bring plastic, leave love behind” was launched to raise awareness among tourists visiting Con Dao, encouraging them to be more responsible. The campaign aimed to help build the image of this beautiful, plastic-free, clean, and pristine island. It successfully engaged nearly 2 million people via Facebook.

Notably, in 2023, the tourism sector launched the “Avoid plastic – Detox the Earth from single-use plastic” campaign to promote behavior change among tourists. The goal was to eliminate single-use plastics before the trip and reduce unnecessary plastic products at tourist destinations. The campaign’s website, Kiêng Nhựa (https://kiengnhua.vn), became a highlight, attracting 11,000 visits within the first month and generating 1 million interactions on its Facebook page.

Introduced for the first time, the Kiêng Nhựa website provides a tool for tourists to measure the environmental impact of single-use plastic items such as plastic bottles, bags, foam containers, and disposable hygiene products. Through engaging messages and behavioral guidelines on the website, the project aims to demonstrate that even small actions—whether early or late—can contribute positively to the environment. Additionally, numerous interactive communication activities with various approaches have taken place, focusing on: eliminating unnecessary single-use plastic products when preparing for travel to tourist destinations, especially Con Dao and Phu Quoc; and reducing plastic waste emissions, particularly from single-use plastics, during the travel journey, all based on the principles of awareness, understanding, commitment (non-binding), and compliance with plastic waste reduction regulations at tourist destinations.

Supporting government management and policy communication

During its implementation in various localities, including Ha Tinh (Ha Tinh city), Quang Binh (Dong Hoi city), Hue (A Luoi), Da Nang, Phu Yen, Long An (Tan An), Kien Giang (Rach Gia), and three marine protected areas: Con Dao, Phu Quoc, and Cu Lao Cham, the project has carried out numerous communication activities aimed at providing information on government policies, laws, and regulations, as well as raising awareness about changing behaviors related to the use and disposal of plastic products in the community.

Additionally, numerous other campaigns aimed at reducing plastic waste in various sectors have been simultaneously organized

Key highlights include: information on government policies and strategies, as well as legislation and regulations regarding ocean plastic waste pollution management to promote a circular economy and sustainable marine economic development; models of circular economy and efficient plastic management in countries across the region and globally; Vietnam’s proactive efforts in preparing for and contributing to the development of a global agreement on plastic pollution, with the goal of establishing Vietnam as a regional leader in reducing ocean plastic waste, with a focus on emphasizing the urgency and benefits of a global agreement on plastic pollution; the project’s activities within the context of Vietnam’s Ocean Plastic Waste Reduction Project and its contributions to the fight against plastic waste pollution in Vietnam; the lessons learned and successful models from localities participating in the project, particularly in 2023, where several models showed very promising results and were recognized.

Additionally, the project has worked closely with the Legal Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) to support the development and refinement of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations. The project has contributed to the creation of the national EPR office's branding and the upgrade and operation of the national EPR portal at https://epr.monre.gov.vn/vi. This portal provides detailed information, including raising public awareness about EPR, its operational mechanisms, news and events, and guidelines for businesses on waste treatment and recycling, as well as all relevant legal documents.

Communication events such as conferences, seminars, and discussions have garnered significant attention from local residents and management authorities regarding the implementation of solid waste and plastic waste management. The central role of urban areas has been identified as an effective solution to reduce plastic pollution in Vietnam.

The proactive and determined actions of localities in establishing plastic waste management models at the local level not only help create cleaner environments for residents but also mitigate the impact on key economic sectors such as tourism, transportation, and fisheries. These efforts play an important role in the process of building and developing a sustainable socio-economic environment at the local level, contributing to the achievement of national goals and results.

Building a portal for accessing pcean plastic waste data

According to a report by WWF, from 2021 to 2023, the Ocean Plastic Waste Database Platform, with various thematic branches, has been developed and operated. Specifically: (1) The branch with reference number Ref. 12241 contributed valuable information and data to the global environmental data network; (2) The branch with reference number Ref. 12242 successfully established a portal that provides access to ocean plastic waste data, a knowledge portal, and an open database platform that allows experts, organizations, and relevant government agencies to contribute, share, synchronize, access, and exploit resources and services. This is a critical requirement for the current management of ocean plastic waste in Vietnam; (3) The branches with reference numbers Ref. 12243 and 12244 successfully developed an ocean plastic waste project management system that helps with monitoring, tracking, reporting progress, and synchronizing tasks among stakeholders during the implementation of ocean plastic waste management projects. Additionally, consolidating fragmented data from various projects in the field of ocean plastic waste into useful indicators for authorities to compile data and support decision-making in addressing ocean waste issues is also an essential task of the digital database system.

Notably, a dashboard has also been developed and integrated into the ocean plastic waste database system. This type of user interface can be understood as a progress report that visualizes data by connecting to data sources, files, attachments, services, and APIs, then displaying this data in tables, line charts, and bar charts, making reporting and management more efficient and convenient.

According to WWF, the ocean plastic waste database platform is implemented by VASI with funding from WWF. This platform serves as a data hub aimed at speed, accuracy, timeliness, and security in managing, connecting, and using data on ocean plastic waste, supporting state management of ocean plastic waste. The platform underscores the importance of collecting, storing, processing, compiling, and analyzing environmental information and data, particularly plastic waste data, through digital transformation platforms as part of efforts to meet national and international challenges related to the environment. It aims to inform environmental decision-making for sustainable development and peace.

Supporting the development of global agreement on ocean plastic pollution

Affirming its commitment to support the Vietnamese government in managing the plastic lifecycle effectively and reducing plastic waste pollution, WWF-Vietnam has consistently collaborated with and provided technical information and documents to assist the Vietnamese delegation in participating in the development of the Global Agreement on Plastic Pollution since March 2022.

On August 16, 2021, the Prime Minister of Vietnam issued Decision No. 1407/QD-TTg approving the Vietnam Initiative to proactively prepare for and participate in the development of a Global Agreement on Ocean Plastic Pollution. On April 15, 2023, the Government Office issued Decision No. 2600/VPCP-QHQT regarding Vietnam’s participation in negotiating the Global Agreement on Plastic Pollution. This decision endorsed Vietnam’s participation in the negotiations, in accordance with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) notification, and authorized the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) to lead the negotiation delegation, coordinating with relevant ministries and agencies to develop strategies and conduct the negotiations.

The approval of these two initiatives has enabled Vietnam to adequately prepare its human resources, information, and data to actively and effectively prepare for and participate in negotiations for a United Nations Global Agreement on plastic pollution throughout the plastic lifecycle. This will ensure the protection of national rights and interests while enhancing the country’s capacity to prevent and combat plastic pollution in general, including ocean plastic waste.

As we know, following the historic decision by the UN Council to adopt the resolution to end plastic pollution at the UNEA 5.2 session in Nairobi, Kenya, in March 2022, the Zero Draft of the treaty was published on September 4, 2023. The draft has established the first technical name of the treaty and integrates the results and proposals from 175 countries involved in the negotiation process. The components of the treaty in the draft include multiple global measures, with calls for policies such as global bans, mandatory design requirements, provisions related to fishing gear, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). The content of the Zero Draft will be negotiated and further developed at the INC3 conference in November 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Since 2019, WWF-Vietnam, through support from programs and projects funded by WWF-Germany, WWF-Norway, and WWF-Switzerland, and in collaboration with the WWF international expert network, has actively supported the MONRE in activities promoting the formation of the treaty and preparing for negotiations, as well as developing the treaty components. WWF’s cooperative support activities have included capacity building, expert resource support, research to establish negotiation capacity, and developing databases and information on plastic pollution and effective management in Vietnam, as well as proposing recommendations and negotiation scenarios for the treaty components. These efforts have also included accompanying the government and MONRE in activities at AHEG working groups, ministerial-led conferences (September 2021), and UNEP-led workshops and conferences (including INC1 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in November-December 2022; INC2 in Paris, France, in May-June 2023; and INC3 in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2023).

Hong Minh