Lifestyle

Vietnam Now Fines You for Not Sorting Your Trash

Vietnam now fines individuals up to VND 1 million and businesses up to VND 30 million for failing to sort waste.

[Vietnam Now Fines You for Not Sorting Your Trash]

▍ New Waste Sorting Rules

Starting January 5, Decree No. 45/2022 took effect. Individuals who fail to sort their waste face fines of VND 500,000 to VND 1 million — roughly 10% of Vietnam's average monthly salary. For businesses, fines can reach VND 30 million.

Anyone who has lived in Vietnam knows the adjustment. Tossing plastic bottles and paper straight into unsorted bins — at universities, residential compounds, even upscale hotels — is the norm. Recycling bins like those common in Taiwan or Japan are hard to find.

▍ Unified Industrial Emissions Fee

Waste sorting is not the only change. A new national emissions fee for factories also took effect on January 5 under Decree No. 153/2024. Steel mills, cement plants, and oil refineries must now pay environmental fees calculated as a fixed base plus a variable charge tied to emission volume.

Previously, local governments set their own fee schedules, creating inconsistency and opacity for manufacturers. The unified national standard should make compliance more straightforward.

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