EPR implementation needs to be suitable to Vietnam's conditions

EPR requires manufacturers to be responsible for the collection, recycling and disposal of their products at the end of their life.

On March 25, the Department of Environment (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) coordinated with the Agriculture and Environment Newspaper to organize a "Training workshop on implementing the regulations on extended responsibility of manufacturers and importers - EPR".

According to Mr. Ho Kien Trung, Deputy Director of the Department of Environment (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), the legal basis has fully regulated for enterprises to implement the extended responsibility of manufacturers and importers (abbreviated as EPR), choose the form of recycling organization or make financial contributions to support recycling. The content of EPR has been stipulated in the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 and specified in Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP dated January 10, 2022 of the Government and Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BTNMT dated January 10, 2022 of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment.

Most recently, Decree No. 05/2025/ND-CP dated January 6, 2025 of the Government and Circular No. 07/2025/TT-BTNMT dated February 28, 2025 of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment have continued to improve the legal framework, clearly defining the subjects of responsibility, flexibility in recycling certain types of packaging and more clearly defining recycling solutions to help EPR implementation be carried out more clearly, transparently and effectively. On the other hand, the recycling cost norm (Fs) has also been issued in Circular No. 07/2025/TT-BTNMT.

Regarding recycling responsibilities, manufacturers and importers of tires, lubricants, batteries, accumulators and some types of packaging are responsible for recycling from January 1, 2024; manufacturers and importers of electrical and electronic products are responsible for recycling from January 1, 2025; manufacturers and importers of means of transport are responsible for recycling from January 1, 2027.

Responsibility for waste collection and treatment: manufacturers and importers of disposable batteries, diapers, chewing gum, cigarettes,... some synthetic plastic products and pesticide packaging are responsible for waste collection and treatment from January 1, 2022.

The time for manufacturers and importers to register, declare recycling plans and declare financial contributions to the Vietnam Environmental Protection Fund to support recycling and waste treatment is before March 31 every year.

Accordingly, registration, declaration and reporting of responsibilities will be done online on the National EPR Information System instead of submitting paper copies, making the implementation of the declaration and reporting regime convenient, easy and cost-effective.

According to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thach, Editor-in-Chief of Agriculture and Environment Newspaper, Extended Producer and Importer Responsibility (EPR) is an important policy, applied by many countries around the world and brings practical effects in waste management, promoting circular economy.

In Vietnam, regulations on EPR are specified in the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, Decree 08/2022 and Circular 02/2022, creating a clear legal corridor for businesses to fulfill their responsibilities in recycling and waste treatment.

However, with these significant changes, many businesses are still struggling to apply and comply.

Mr. Do Xuan Thuan (photo), EPR Office, Department of Environment (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) informed that in Decree 05, Circular 07 of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment previously, the registration, declaration and implementation of EPR responsibilities were carried out through the national EPR electronic information system. Accordingly, in the process of declaration, if there are any technical and content problems, the EPR Office is ready to support and accompany businesses. The information portal officially operates from January 29, 2024.

However, based on the merger between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment into the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the system has been transferred to the new domain name epr.mae.gov.vn. Account registration will be based on the old business information name and code. Currently, accounts and account information on the old electronic portal are still stored on the website with the new domain name.

Mr. Thuan noted that the importing manufacturer responsible for recycling packaging products must fulfill its responsibility and declare the amount of contribution before March 31, 2025. According to Decree 05, in case the importing manufacturer has registered and recycled some packaging products with responsibility from January 1, 2024 such as tires, batteries, packaging, it must register the plan from 2024 and the recycled volume meets the provisions of law, this volume will be reserved to count towards the implementation results in 2025.

Currently, Circular 07 does not specifically announce the account number to receive the contribution to support waste recycling and treatment. Accordingly, in the coming time, the EPR Office, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Vietnam Environmental Protection Fund will coordinate to have many forms of announcing the account number for businesses to access as quickly as possible. In case of needing an account number soon, businesses can contact the Vietnam Environmental Protection Fund.

Thu Cuc

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/thuc-thi-epr-can-phu-hop-voi-cac-dieu-kien-cua-viet-nam-102250325213917227.htm