From the 1950s, there has been 8.3 billion tons of plastics produced, resulting in 6.3 billion tons of plastic waste.

Little of the plastic waste we create is recycled or treated properly. Instead, more than 70% of all plastic waste has accumulated in landfills or been discarded directly into the natural environment. Around 8 million tons of plastic waste entered the oceans in 2010. By 2025, the cumulative amount entering the oceans could reach 155 million metric tons. With so much plastic waste floating in the ocean, scientists have called an area between California and Hawaii “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch” that could cover up to 1.6 million km2. The consequences are devastating, with over 800 marine species directly affected by marine debris not to mention the impact it could have on human health.   

It is estimated that in 2010 Viet Nam generated 1.8 million tons of mismanaged plastic waste, and has ranked fourth in the top five countries that discharged the most plastic waste into the ocean . As plastic waste becomes both a national and a global crisis, WWF-Viet Nam as part of the global WWF network’s No Plastic in Nature initiative is engaging all stakeholders to develop plastic smart cities throughout the country. To achieve this goal, WWF-Viet Nam is currently implementing multiple plastic reduction projects in Phu Quoc, Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City and Long An province.

As our efforts will only intensify in the time to come, we hope you can join WWF-Viet Nam on this journey to tackle plastic pollution in our country and all over the world!