MWRP Vietnam: Building a Green City through Women-Led Plastic Recycling

Waste recycling is a key focus for the coastal city of Da Nang, Vietnam’s fifth largest city with a population of more than 1.2 million. City authorities and residents have committed to making Da Nang a “green city” as outlined in the city’s solid waste management strategy “Towards 2030.” To achieve this goal, all stakeholders in Da Nang need to be involved in the city’s plan to strengthen and expand its existing small-scale waste management systems.

SCALING UP WOMEN-LED PLASTIC RECYCLING

Under the Oceans Without Plastic project, CECR worked with grassroot women’s organizations to support the city’s ambitious waste management and recycling targets. Following a highly successful pilot, CECR expanded a community-based recycling model in residential areas across two districts, Son Tra (population 205,000) and Thanh Khe (population185,000), in partnership with key waste management stakeholders, including the citywide Women’s Union and Da Nang River Watch.

A NEW COMMUNITY-BASED RECYCLING MODEL

The model centered on the collection of plastic and other recyclable materials, donated by households and businesses in the community, which were then sorted and sold by committees of the Women’s Union. These committees were involved in all stages of the model’s implementation, from formulating work plans and preparing household commitment agreements, to monitoring project activities. CECR trained 5,655 women on health and safety measures, waste management, and plastic recycling, which led to 458 women securing a decision-making position in the community. As a result of CECR’s work, more than 21,000 households, 1,500 fishing boat crews, 300 market vendors, 31 schools, and 200 hotel and restaurant owners began segregating waste at source and committed to recycling plastic waste. To this day, the plastic collection system developed by CECR continues to provide steady income to waste collectors, handlers, dealers, and community members in Da Nang.