How entrepreneurs in Vietnam are cleaning up plastic waste

Vietnam’s lush coastline and winding rivers draw millions each year — but look closer, and you’ll see grocery bags tangled in mangroves, plastic bottles drifting along canals, and shorelines littered with debris. Every year, an estimated 300,000 metric tons of plastic end up in waterways and beaches — that’s the equivalent of 30,000 garbage trucks backing up to the beach and dumping their loads.

It’s a big problem, but one that can be solved with the power of entrepreneurs. With help from iDE donors, the team in Vietnam is working with entrepreneurs that collect, sort, and recycle plastics — keeping them out of beaches, oceans, and landfills.

iDE’s Paul Polak Innovation Fund has awarded grants to:

🏆 Develop a waste collection centre in Da Nang

🏆 Expand plastic recycling to Nha Trang

🏆 Improve working conditions for waste collectors, many of whom are women

A woman stands, smiling at the camera and holding a large red bucket filled with various plastic recyclables. She's wearing a black zip up hoodie and has black hair tied back.

Women like Truong Thi Anh Nguyet. She hops on her motorbike twice daily to buy recyclables from households around Da Nang. Then she sells it at a local junk shop to be recycled. “As long as I can make more money and help keep the environment cleaner, I’m very proud,” she says.