Vietnam is among the top five source countries for the eight million tons of plastic dumped into oceans each year. With the assistance of USAID’s Municipal Waste Recycling Program grantees, the Government of Vietnam is developing and will finalize a National Action Plan on Ocean Plastic Waste Management in 2019. From April 17-21, Senator Patrick Leahy (VT) led a delegation of nine U.S. Senators to Vietnam and engaged on a variety of issues, including oceans plastics. At a roundtable discussion with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and two local NGO grantees under USAID’s program, the Senators discussed the critical world-wide issue of plastics polluting our oceans, Vietnam’s draft Action Plan, and how the U.S. and Vietnam can work together to improve solid waste management and increase waste recycling in Vietnam.  

So What? With strong bipartisan support, the U.S. Government continues to provide ongoing assistance to reduce ocean plastics in Vietnam. This roundtable was an opportunity for the Senators to hear from local government and NGO partners about the need for support from the United States to address the global issue of ocean plastic and what Vietnam is doing to reduce their inputs to the ocean. Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHskQLGH6F