Vietnam is always surrounded by countless sources of imported electronic waste (e-waste) as more and more countries tighten their laws to prevent e-waste from being dumped into their countries. If a strong protective fence is not built, Vietnam risks becoming an e-waste dumping ground for the world.
Risk of information leakage
According to statistics from the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology - Hanoi University of Science and Technology, each year, Vietnam generates about 100,000 tons of e-waste, mainly electronic household appliances and office equipment. It is estimated that by 2025, waste from televisions alone could reach 250,000 tons.
According to the Global E-Waste Statistics Partnership, in 2019 alone, Vietnam had 514,000 tons of electronic products put on the market, generating 257,000 tons of e-waste, with an average of 2.7 kg/person. In addition to traditional e-waste, solar panels and discarded electric vehicle batteries have recently become a major challenge as the use of solar energy and electric vehicles is being encouraged by the state. E-waste can be hazardous to the environment and directly affect human health. If not properly treated, e-waste can release toxic substances such as mercury, lead, chromium, arsenic, nickel, etc. into the environment. In addition, there is a potential risk of leaking personal information and important information from discarded electronic devices that are not properly treated.
Mr. Tran Nguyen Hien, Head of the Solid Waste Management Department - Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said that in Ho Chi Minh City, electronic waste is brought to scrap collection points because, out of habit, people transfer, give away, and sell waste that still has economic value. On the other hand, because the electronic waste collection points according to regulations have not been well implemented, there are electronic waste recycling activities that do not comply with regulations.
Users give old electronic devices to the "Vietnam Recycle" program for proper disposal. Photo: VNTC
Greening the manufacturing process
In recent years, authorities have made efforts to handle on-site waste disposal, while preventing the import of discarded electrical and electronic equipment. The 2020 Law on Environmental Protection has provided regulations on the development of a circular economy, on the responsibility for recycling and treatment of discarded products (EPR).
A series of programs to raise awareness of users and the responsibility of manufacturers and businesses regarding e-waste have been implemented. Notably, the Vietnam Recycling Program (VNTC) has been implemented systematically and persistently (operating continuously since April 2015). This is a free e-waste collection, treatment and recycling program initiated by electronic equipment manufacturers - the core of which are HP, Apple and Microsoft - to comply with the Prime Minister's Decision 16 on the collection of discarded products. Currently, in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, the VNTC program has established 10 e-waste collection points. Here, users can send old electronic devices such as computers, cameras, and household electronic devices for the VNTC team to process. In 2023, the Vietnam Packaging Recycling Alliance has committed to collecting and recycling more than 13,000 tons of packaging.
In recent years, Samsung Electronics (Korea) has restructured its manufacturing process to be greener, using more and more post-consumer recycled materials for high-end products, focusing on green, environmentally friendly packaging. At a press conference at the CES 2024 Global Technology Exhibition in Las Vegas - USA on January 8, Mr. Inhee Chung, Vice President of Samsung Corporate Sustainability Center, shared Samsung's plan for a more circular economy. As part of this plan, Samsung is increasingly using recycled materials in its products - including recycled plastics derived from discarded fishing nets in Galaxy devices, recycled plastics in TVs and recycled aluminum in Bespoke refrigerators. In addition, the company will also expand the scale of recycling and upgrading for devices. In mid-2023, Samsung Vina cooperated with the Mobile World retail store system to implement the "Join hands to handle used batteries" activity nationwide to collect and process old batteries from Samsung devices. Old battery collection bins are placed at more than 100 stores of the Mobile World system nationwide and the batteries are transferred to the Samsung factory for proper processing.
At a recent workshop on electronic waste in Hanoi, Mr. Yutaka Yasuda, Senior Executive Director of JX Metals Japan, shared three strong solutions that Japan has implemented to handle and recycle electronic waste. First, strictly classify and collect electronic waste at the source, placing the responsibility for handling on manufacturers. Second, apply the law on recycling household appliances to products such as televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, manufacturers are responsible for recycling old and broken devices. Third, Japanese people have to pay when discarding old electronic devices and the production process places strict requirements on the rate of resource recycling.
For many years, Vietnam has been implementing the Vietnam National Strategy on Green Growth for the period 2011 - 2020 with a vision to 2050. In early 2024, Vietnamese leaders expressed their determination to restructure the economy towards green and sustainable growth. Production, business and consumption activities must also be greened.
Processing is still rudimentary
According to the Vietnam Urban Environment and Industrial Zone Association, the process of collecting and processing e-waste in Vietnam is still rudimentary and inadequate. About 100 e-waste collection and recycling facilities operate manually. Facilities applying high technology face difficulties in human resources, equipment as well as lack of investment in science and technology transfer.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/no-luc-ngan-rac-dien-tu-196240130202833193.htm
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