Each Vietnamese person uses nearly 90kg of plastic a year.

In 1990, the average plastic consumption per capita in Vietnam was about 3.8 kg/year. After nearly three decades, this number has increased more than 21 times, reaching 81 kg/person in 2019.

Mr. Nguyen Thi, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said that the world's plastic production is increasing at a dizzying rate - Photo: NHAT XUAN

The above information was shared by Mr. Nguyen Thi, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, at the workshop "Trends in developing green, environmentally friendly packaging: Legal and practical", taking place in Binh Duong on February 20.

This event is the opening activity within the framework of the ProPak Vietnam 2025 exhibition, organized by Informa Markets Vietnam and Tetra Pak Vietnam co-organized.

On average, Vietnamese people consume nearly 90kg of plastic per year.

According to Mr. Thi, in 1950 the world produced about 2 million tons of plastic, but by 2019 this number had increased to 368 million tons. Without effective control measures, it is predicted that by 2040, this number could reach 736 million tons.

"Current plastic consumption is increasing faster than population growth, showing that people are using plastic excessively," Mr. Thi emphasized.

Mr. Thi said that many countries have implemented reduction policies, but the rate of plastic consumption continues to increase.

In Vietnam, the situation is not very optimistic. In 1990, Vietnam consumed about 0.2 million tons of plastic, but by 2022, this number had increased to more than 9 million tons. It is forecasted that by 2029, plastic consumption could double.

In terms of per capita consumption, according to Mr. Thi, in 1990 each Vietnamese person used about 3.8 kg of plastic/year, but by 2019 this number had increased to 81 kg.

"We need drastic solutions to reduce plastic waste, promote recycling and apply circular economy to limit dependence on virgin plastic," said Mr. Thi.

How to "quit plastic"?

Ms. Chu Thi Kim Thanh, operations director of the Vietnam Packaging Recycling Alliance (PRO Vietnam), said that since 2019, leading businesses in the consumer goods industry have joined forces to establish an alliance and implemented many plastic collection and recycling programs.

Not only supporting businesses in production activities, PRO Vietnam also coordinates with Vietnam Television (VTV) and Tuoi Tre newspaper to organize propaganda programs to raise public awareness about classifying and recycling plastic waste.

According to Ms. Thanh, recycling is not only the responsibility of businesses but also requires the cooperation of the whole society.

Ms. Chu Thi Kim Thanh, operations director of PRO Vietnam, shares the organization's activities to promote and raise awareness about plastic waste classification and recycling - Photo: NHAT XUAN

Along with that, many large corporations, including international brands, are actively researching and applying advanced solutions to improve packaging in a more sustainable direction.

Sharing about the latest trends and technologies in the packaging industry, Ms. Nguyen Thanh Giang - General Director of Tetra Pak Vietnam (a leading international packaging company) - said the company is focusing on solutions such as: using sustainable materials, simple packaging design to optimize recycling, and applying digital transformation and automation to reduce production costs and carbon emissions.

Tetra Pak also invests in recycling technology in Vietnam, cooperating with many units to bring recycled products back to the market and supporting the construction of an effective collection and recycling system. This is part of the strategy towards Net Zero - neutral carbon emissions in production.

ProPak Vietnam 2025: Update the latest and most advanced packaging technology

ProPak Vietnam 2025 International Exhibition will take place from March 18 to 20 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City), gathering more than 340 businesses from 26 countries and territories.

The event brings the latest updates on trends, solutions and advanced technologies in the field of packaging, processing and packaging. In addition to the exhibition area, the exhibition also organizes networking programs and specialized seminars to support businesses in optimizing production lines, improving operational efficiency and moving towards sustainable development.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/moi-nguoi-viet-xai-gan-90kg-nhua-mot-nam-20250220185851781.htm