The Waste and Resource Management Cluster (WaRM) of the AIT RRC.AP organised an In-country Stakeholder Consultation cum Expert Review Workshop in collaboration with its project partners the Vietnam Cleaner Production Center Ltd. (VNCPC) on the 28 March 2023 in Hanoi. The hybrid workshop was organised as a part of the ongoing project which is aimed at harnessing the experiences, perspectives, roles, and expertise from the formal and informal recycling center to support the development and dissemination of technical guidelines to prevent or reduce plastics and resin pellets leakage from factories and informal recycling sector in the ASEAN. 

The workshop was organised to review and receive inputs from experts and stakeholders for two drafts documents developed within the framework of the project, namely: 1) Report on assessment of plastic leakage status in Hanoi city and 2) Technical guidance on preventing leakage of plastic and plastic fragments from factories and informal recycling areas in ASEAN. Key national and regional experts from the relevant government line ministries, city government offices, academia, waste management companies, private consulting firms, civil society organization, recycling facilities and cleaner production centers participated in the workshop. 

The development and implementation of guidelines and industry best practices for plastics and resin pellets leakage prevention is necessary to minimise micro and macro plastic losses to the environment, as well as serve as good reference for developing preventative and remedial measures to prevent, clean-up and dispose of pellets where spillage occurs. The Regional Resource Centre of Asia and the Pacific at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT RRC.AP)​ is collaborating with partners in in 6 cities including: Manila and Iloilo (Philippines), Vientiane (Lao PDR), Pattaya​ and Nonthaburi (Thailand) and Hanoi (Vietnam) to implement this project.​