The number of plastic bags consumed in Vietnam will decrease by 65 percent as of 2020, compared to the previous decade.
This is in line with a project to control pollution caused by non-biodegradable plastics bags, which was recently approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
Under the project, by 2015, the number of plastic bags consumed in regular markets will drop by 20 percent and by 40 percent in supermarkets and commercial centres.
The PM has asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) to ban the production of plastic bags thinner than 30 micrometres in order to make them easier to collect and recycle.
The MoNRE is also required to gather and recycle at least 25 percent of the waste from these plastic bags.
Relevant ministries, departments, and municipal and provincial authorities need to work out ways to classify waste and are encouraged to use recycled products made from plastic bags, especially in building public facilities.
Communication will be intensified to raise public awareness of the harmful impact of plastic bags on the environment.
Packaging and bags made from environmentally friendly materials will also be produced in much larger quantities and the public will be encouraged to use them more widely.