As plastic pollution continues to rise globally, research led by the University of Portsmouth will investigate how Viet Nam has approached plastic waste policy - offering vital lessons for other countries, especially as negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty progress.
The study will explore how evidence, equity and inclusion have shaped Viet Nam's plastic waste law.
The project - Rethinking Responsibility: Understanding the Role of Evidence in Viet Nam's EPR Policy - has been awarded funding by the British Academy. It will examine how Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) - a policy approach that holds producers accountable for the plastics they place on the market - has been designed and implemented in Viet Nam.
Extended Producer Responsibility is now being adopted by many governments in response to plastic pollution. But the truth is, we still know very little about how these policies are being shaped or whose voices are being heard in the process.
Dr Antaya March, Director of the University of Portsmouth's Global Plastics Policy Centre
The study is being led by Dr Antaya March , Director of the University of Portsmouth's Global Plastics Policy Centre , in partnership with Viet Nam Maritime University and the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA).
"Extended Producer Responsibility is now being adopted by many governments in response to plastic pollution," said Dr March. "But the truth is, we still know very little about how these policies are being shaped or whose voices are being heard in the process."
Viet Nam formalised its EPR policy for plastic packaging in 2022, requiring producers and importers to finance or directly manage the collection, recycling and disposal of plastics. The policy also includes incentives for eco-friendly design and preferential loans for sustainable production, but researchers say questions remain over how inclusive and evidence-based the process has been - an issue common in policy making across nearly all countries.
"This is about more than just recycling rates," Dr March said. "We want to know why was EPR chosen over other options? What kind of evidence - scientific, indigenous, or otherwise - guided those decisions? And were marginalised groups, like informal waste workers or women who are significant actors in local waste management, meaningfully included in the policymaking process?"
Around 300,000 tonnes of plastic waste enter Viet Nam's waterways and seas each year, according to the World Bank. The region has become a global hotspot for plastic pollution, in part due to limited waste infrastructure and rising imports from high-income countries.
We hope this project not only supports better decisions in Viet Nam, but helps shape more just and effective global responses to the plastic crisis.
Dr Antaya March, Director of the University of Portsmouth's Global Plastics Policy Centre,
While EPR has gained popularity as a policy tool, including in current Global Plastics Treaty talks, critics argue it often overlooks key challenges in low and middle-income contexts. These include the exclusion of low-value plastics, limited support for reuse systems, and risks to informal waste workers who rely on plastic collection for their livelihoods.
Viet Nam's EPR policy, like many others, sets mandatory recycling targets but does not include reuse requirements or formal protections for the informal sector. The Global Plastics Policy Centre led project will analyse these gaps through interviews, document analysis, and stakeholder mapping, with the goal of informing more inclusive and effective policies across Southeast Asia and beyond.
The team will also work closely with regional bodies , ensuring the findings contribute directly to ongoing policymaking efforts.
Dr March added: "This will be the first in-depth, retrospective analysis of how a plastics EPR policy was actually developed. And it comes at a critical time. If the Global Plastics Treaty is finalised in 2025, many countries may need to adopt or reform EPR schemes. Our work can help ensure those policies are grounded in evidence and designed for equity.
"We hope this project not only supports better decisions in Viet Nam, but helps shape more just and effective global responses to the plastic crisis."
