On October 16, 2018, in Hanoi, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Vietnam Pulp and Paper Association jointly organized a workshop on "Policy Solutions for Sustainable Development of the Paper Industry in Vietnam". The workshop attracted the participation of many enterprises, authorities and many senior experts in the industry.
Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Phan Chi Dung, former Director general of the Light Industry Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that the paper industry played an important role in creating stable jobs for tens of thousands of workers and in some important production industries such as paper, notebook, tissue paper, toilet paper production and forestry activities and paper recycle also created jobs for hundreds of thousands of workers.
Recently, the paper industry has experienced strong growth with average growth rate of 11% in the period of 2000-2007 and 16% in the period 2007-2017.
The workshop on "Policy Solutions for Sustainable Development of the Paper Industry in Vietnam"
According to Mr. Hoang Trung Son, Vice President of the Vietnam Pulp and Paper Association, the Vietnam paper industry is developing rapidly and is forecasted follow this trend for 10 years at the rate of more than 10%. The figure in the packing paper is 15%.
From the point of view of Mr. Hoang Trung Son, waste paper or paper scrap is an irreplaceable source in the paper industry of developed countries. Paper recycling is also a green industry since an actual research has shown that recycling 1 ton of paper means saving 17 mature trees, 4,000 kWh of electricity, 270 liters of oil, 26 liters of water and 3.5 cubic meters of land. Recycling paper saves 65% of the electricity needed to produce new one and reduce water pollution by 35%.
Currently, the domestic paper scrap supply cannot meet the production need of enterprises, leading to the quantity of imported one. According to preliminary estimates, the rate of paper collection in Vietnam is below the world average, about 40% before classification and processing stage.
However, waste paper and the importation of such raw material have faced challenges. Mr. Dau Anh Tuan, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Vietnam recommended that: "Vietnam needs to refer to the scrap paper importation management policies of other countries and bring out our own policies in accordance with international practices on the basis of the situation of our economic development and demand. It is absolutely necessary for state agencies to consult enterprises to have a more objective view to gradually formulate and perfect this legal framework ".
At the seminar, experts and representatives of key enterprises suggested composing legal provisions aiming at creating favorable conditions for the paper industry development and management. In addition, it is necessary to issue policies and their implementation schedule which are appropriate to the current economic development of Vietnam. With regard to paper enterprises, the environment is always the top priority in the production and discharge processes. They should be willingness to cooperate with the Government, contribute scientific and technological knowledge to increase the quality of product, ensure the environmental treatment and contribute to the economic development.
By Office of Cleaner Production and Sustainable Production and Consumption
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