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According to MONRE, the draft document has been build based on the principle of expanded responsibility of manufacturers, which means that enterprises have to be responsible to the last for the products they make or import, from the time when the products are launched into the market to the time when they become waste.
In fact, the article 67 of the environment protection law also stipulates that the responsibility for collecting waste products must be taken by manufacturers or importers. MONRE believes that the regulations will encourage enterprises to invest in the environment friendly technologies.
Regarding the measures to collect waste products, enterprises can build up the collection systems, or sign contracts with institutions and individuals, or join forces with each other to form up representative organizations.
Officials of the ministry have also reassured enterprises that they will not have to spend too much time on administrative procedures. They will only have to submit reports on product recall and treatment once a year, while the reports can be sent via Internet.
However, electronics manufacturers have expresses their worries about the feasibility of the attempting regulations.
Director of Panasonic Vietnam, Shinichi Wakita has warned that the listing of tens of electronic equipment and mechanical substances, as the subjects to compulsory recall after use may lead to the falls of interests in making investment in Vietnam, because manufacturers will have to bear heavier responsibilities.
He also thinks that the required percentage of recalled products (up to 75 percent) is relatively high if compared with the required level in other countries. Therefore, MONRE should give detailed explanations about the suggested level.
He also said that the market of waste product collection in Vietnam is quite complicated which would hinder manufacturers in collecting waste products from consumers.
Also, consumers still have not been aware of the need to collect waste products. When products cannot be used any more, they usually sell the products to scrap-iron dealers for money. They have not got used to pay money for recycling the products.
In fact, manufacturers understand well that they can use many accessories of waste products for recycling. However, To Van Thanh, Deputy Director of Tia Sang Battery Company, has admitted that it would be a heavy task to collect waste products.
“People always sell waste products to scrap-iron dealers rather than to manufacturers, because manufacturers offer lower prices. As a result, waste products have been spread out,” he said.
Currently, Tia Sang only collect error products which are within the warranty period, or the products which cannot meet the standard quality. The volume of old batteries collected is really inconsiderable because of the unattractive purchase prices.
“We have stopped collecting old batteries for the last 10 years. It is very difficult to collect waste batteries, because people do not have the habit of classify wastes for recycling,” he said.
According to MONRE, Vietnam would have 70,000 tons of waste batteries by 2015. The figure does not include the volume of lead batteries imported to Vietnam through unofficial channels. In 2010, the volume of waste lead batteries reached 40,000 tons.
According to the General Department of Customs, the volume of battery imports has been increasing due to the higher demand. There are about 28 million motorbikes and 1.5 million cars in Vietnam, while the figures are expected to increase by 20-25 percent per annum. Vietnam would have 60 million motorbikes and cars of different kinds by 2021.
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