In the outskirts of Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, hundreds of informal “craft” recycling villages are grappling with a dangerous paradox. While these villages help recycle a portion of the country’s massive plastic waste and provide income to thousands of families, the absence of regulation has turned them into hotspots of severe environmental pollution and health risks.
Vietnam produces nearly 1.8 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, much of which ends up in villages such as Xa Cau and Minh Khai. Here, workers manually sort, shred, and melt plastic using rudimentary methods. Mountains of discarded bottles line roads and rivers, while toxic smoke and untreated wastewater contaminate air and water sources.
Health hazards hidden behind economic survival
For workers like 64-year-old Lanh, recycling is both a lifeline and a threat. She believes prolonged exposure to toxic waste caused her husband’s blood cancer, yet she continues working to pay for his treatment. Residents and workers report a high number of cancer cases, though no official data exists. Studies cited by environmental experts have found elevated levels of lead, dioxins, and furans in village sediments chemicals known to be linked to cancer.
According to Vietnam’s environment ministry, residents of some recycling villages had a life expectancy nearly ten years lower than the national average as early as 2008. Experts say air pollution controls are virtually non-existent, and untreated wastewater is often discharged directly into nearby waterways.
Despite the risks, recycling has transformed once-poor farming villages into economically thriving communities. Many residents now live in brick and multi-storey homes, funded by the steady income recycling provides. Village leaders acknowledge that while health concerns are real, the industry remains an essential source of livelihood.
Vietnam recycles only about one-third of its own plastic waste, yet continues to import plastic scrap from Europe, the United States, and other Asian countries. Imports surged after China banned plastic waste imports in 2018. Although Vietnam has announced plans to phase out such imports, over 200,000 tonnes reportedly entered the country last year.
Environmental experts argue that the government must urgently formalise the recycling sector. Suggestions include relocating operations to regulated industrial parks, enforcing pollution controls, and improving waste segregation at source. While some measures, such as bans on burning unrecyclable waste, exist on paper, enforcement remains weak.
Without structural reforms, experts warn that Vietnam’s recycling villages will continue to trade public health and environmental safety for economic survival, deepening a crisis that remains largely unseen beyond their borders.