Vietnam’s craft recycling villages reclaim some of the country’s 1.8 million tonnes of annual plastic waste and provide vital incomes, but largely unregulated methods release toxic pollutants. Studies and local reports cite high lead, dioxin and furan contamination and a 2008 finding that life expectancy in some villages is about a decade shorter than the national average. Imports of plastic surged after China’s 2018 ban; experts urge formalisation and relocation of recyclers to reduce health and environmental harm.
‘Waiting to Die’: How Vietnam’s Craft Recycling Villages Produce Income — and Toxic Pollution
A worker handling plastic bottles before they can be melted into tiny pellets for reuse (Nhac NGUYEN)(Nhac NGUYEN/AFP/AFP)
Crouched amid towering mounds of discarded plastic, Lanh peels labels from bottles of Coke, Evian and local tea so the clear PET can be shredded and melted into small pellets for reuse. Day after day, fresh waste arrives and piles like colourful snowdrifts along the roads and waterways of Xa Cau — one of hundreds of craft recycling villages that ring Hanoi.
The Paradox Of Craft Recycling
These settlements reclaim some of the roughly 1.8 million tonnes of plastic Vietnam produces each year and provide essential incomes for many families. But recycling in these villages is largely unregulated and relies on rudimentary processes that generate hazardous air emissions, untreated wastewater and contaminated soil.
Health And Environmental Impacts
“This job is extremely dirty. The environmental pollution is really severe,” said Lanh, 64, who asked to be identified by her first name for fear of losing work. Workers and independent analysts report frequent dumping of untreated wastewater into rivers and canals and near-zero air pollution controls at many sites.
“Air pollution control is zero in such facilities,” said Hoang Thanh Vinh, an analyst at the United Nations Development Programme focused on waste recycling.
Studies in some communities underline the danger: a sediment analysis in Minh Khai recorded very high lead contamination and the presence of dioxins and furans — toxic compounds linked to cancer. A 2008 environment ministry study found life expectancy in some recycling villages to be about a decade shorter than the national average.
Economic Lifeline — And Dependence On Imports
Despite the health risks, many residents remain in the trade because it brings money and visible improvements in local housing. “We get richer thanks to this business,” said 58-year-old Nguyen Thi Tuyen, whose family moved from farming into recycling and now lives in a two‑storey brick house.
Most plastic processed in craft villages originates domestically, but Vietnam recycles only about a third of its own plastic waste. After China stopped accepting foreign plastic in 2018, imports to Vietnam surged; trade data indicate shipments from the United States and the European Union to Vietnam topped 200,000 tonnes last year. Plant owners say domestic supply alone is often insufficient, so some import from overseas.
Efforts To Reform — And Ongoing Problems
Authorities have introduced measures such as bans on burning unrecyclable waste and plans to build modern facilities. But burning still occurs and unusable refuse is frequently dumped in vacant lots. Analysts urge the government to formalise the sector by relocating recyclers to industrial parks with stricter environmental controls and by supporting safer, modern processing methods.
“The current way of recycling in recycling villages... is not good to the environment at all,” Vinh said, calling for policies that balance jobs with public health and environmental safeguards.
Workers and village residents interviewed by AFP recounted multiple cancer cases among families and neighbours; while comprehensive national data are lacking, locals describe a pervasive fear that long-term exposure to polluted air, water and soil is driving serious illness.
