VietNamNet Bridge - A survey by the Marine Environment Survey and Natural Resources Control Agency found that plastic waste, including domestic land litter and marine waste, is polluting the marine environment in the sea areas of Quang Binh – Hai Phong, Da Nang – Quang Nam and Ba Ria-Vung Tau – HCM City.

Land litter is polluting coastal areas

   
Land litter is mostly from urbanization and industrialization in coastal areas. In the Quang Ninh - Hai Phong area, for example, waste water from industrial facilities goes directly into the sea without any treatment. 

Domestic waste water is also untreated and discharged directly to lakes and rivers in the locality.

Solid waste is not fully treated, but is mostly buried. Some dumping grounds in Ha Long City, including Ha Lam and Ha Khau, are always overloaded. Local people also have the habit of throwing garbage into the bay.

The domestic waste water of Da Nang City is collected and treated before it reaches rivers and the sea. However, treatment is still not implemented in some localities of the Da Nang – Quang Nam areas.

Solid waste is not fully treated, but is mostly buried. Some dumping grounds in Ha Long City, including Ha Lam and Ha Khau, are always overloaded. Local people also have the habit of throwing garbage into the bay.

Untreated waste water in the localities goes directly to the East Sea and Da Nang Bay. Economic zones and industrial production complexes in the Da Nang – Quang Nam coastal area also bring a big volume of waste, including hazardous waste and waste water to the environment.

In Hai Phong City, the total amount of solid waste generated at the ports is about 4,200 tons a year. 

This comes from traffic, disassembling, goods handling and storage, and transportation activities. The waste from broken goods is also thrown into the sea.

Tourism development is also a ‘culprit’ behind the increased pollution of coastal areas and marine environment. Many tourism sites have been found without public dustbins and concentrated waste water treatment systems.

In an effort to stop plastic waste in the ocean, Vietnam has opened plastic waste recycling workshops at which plastic waste, especially plastic bags, are converted into building materials or composite materials.

The Building Materials Institute has developed a process of recycling nylon waste to make plastic planks which can replace plywood, used in some specific construction fields.

This type of plywood has been tested by the Institute of Hygiene and Safety and recognized as safe to people and the environment.

Vietnam has also built up technology to recycle polyethylene waste into unsaturated polyester to make composite materials used in many fields such as transportation, construction, seafood, and post and telecommunications.