Title: Current status of e-waste management in Vietnam

Authors: Nguyen Trung Thang; Sunil Herat; Duong Thi Phuong Anh

Addresses: Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE), 479 Hoang Quoc Viet Str., Bac Tu Liem Dist., Ha Noi, Vietnam ' School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Nathan Campus, Queensland 4111, Australia ' Department of Environment and Sustainable Development, Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE), 479 Hoang Quoc Viet Str., Bac Tu Liem Dist., Ha Noi, Vietnam

Abstract: E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world today. Rapid innovation and uptake of information technology around the world coupled with the advent of new design and technology at regular intervals in the electronics sector is causing the early obsolescence of many electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) used around the world today. By 2020 Vietnam is expected to generate 10.6 million units of e-waste. In 2015, the Prime Minister of Vietnam has signed the Decision 16/2015/QD-TTg dated January 22nd, 2015 on retrieval, treatment of discarded products, which is the extended producer responsibility (EPR) system in Vietnam. The policy is now updated by the Law on Environmental Protection 2020. This paper aims to describe the current situation of e-waste management in Vietnam, identify some of the issues and challenges, and suggest a way forward. The contents of this paper will also serve as an input to policy making in other developing countries in the region.

Keywords: e-waste; electronic waste; Vietnam; recycling; legislation; computers; mobile phones; informal recycling; craft villages; health impacts; electrical and electronic equipment; EEE; extended producer responsibility; EPR.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2022.125519

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2022 Vol.25 No.5, pp.388 - 405

Accepted: 02 Dec 2021
Published online: 13 Sep 2022 *

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