HCMC – A workshop has been held in Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, focusing on the role of informal waste workers (IWWs) in Vietnam’s battle against plastic pollution.
Speakers at the event stressed the vital contributions of IWWs in waste collection and recycling, adding that their incorporation into formal systems can boost Vietnam’s waste management efforts and protect local workers’ lives.
In recognition of International Women’s Day, March 8, the event highlighted how the workers, primarily women, could be integrated into the nation’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) plans.
The workshop brought together representatives from government, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector. It was organized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Vietnam, the Gender and Social Inclusion Task Force under the Vietnam National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Vietnam.
The event included site visits to innovative local models of waste management, providing practical examples of how women waste workers can be supported in a sustainable circular economy.
