With 169 articles arranged in 13 chapters, Government Decree 08/2022/ND-CP dated January 10 contains significant provisions detailing the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection.
Accordingly, the Decree specifies the protection of environmental components; environmental zoning, strategic environmental assessment, and environmental impact assessment; environmental licenses and environmental registration; environmental protection in production, business and service activities, urban and rural areas and some sectors; waste management; and responsibility of producers and importers to recycle and dispose of products and packages, among others.
The new regulation applies to agencies, organizations, resident communities, households and individuals carrying out environment-related activities in the territory of Vietnam, including its mainland, islands, maritime zones, underground areas and air space.
Worthy of note, Decree 08 provides a roadmap to restrict production and import of disposable plastic products, persistent plastic packaging and products and goods containing micro-plastics.
Specifically, from January 1, 2026, it is not permitted to produce and import persistent plastic packaging with a dimension smaller than 50cm x 50cm and a single-layer thickness of under 50μm, unless these products are produced for export or produced or imported for packaging products and goods for sale to the market.
At the same time, the production and import of disposable plastic products, persistent plastic packaging and products and goods containing micro-plastics will be gradually reduced. After 2030, it is aimed to stop the production and import of disposable plastic products (except those bearing Vietnam’s ecolabel), persistent plastic packaging (including persistent plastic bags and styrofoam food containers), and products and goods containing micro-plastics.
Besides, provincial-level People’s Committees must ensure that after 2025, non-biodegradable plastic bags and styrofoam food containers will not be sold and used at department stores, supermarkets, hotels, and tourist sites, except products and goods in non-biodegradable plastic packaging.
Decree 08 is available on Official Gazette issues Nos. 13-24 of 2022.- (VLLF)