The Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT RRC.AP), together with Asian Institute of Technology Centre in Vietnam (AITCV) and the ERIA Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris (ERIA RKC-MPD), convened a two-day Capacity Building Workshop on Preventing Recycling-Related Plastic Leakage from Plastic Recycling in Hanoi on 27 and 28 July 2026. The event was held under the Capacity Building Programme for Reducing Recycling-Related Marine Plastic Pollution in ASEAN Cities (CaRMPAC) and brought together officials from Hanoi's Department of Agriculture and Environment, the municipal waste operator, private manufacturers, academic researchers, civil society groups, environmental practitioners, and the Women's Union to understand and discuss on leakage that occurs within the recycling chain.

The workshop opened with remarks from Dr. Phung Van Dong, Executive Director of AIT Vietnam (online); Dr. Guilberto Borongan, Director of AIT RRC.AP; and Mr. Indradhi Faisal Ibrahim, Programme Manager of Capacity Building at ERIA RKC-MPD (online). Followed by the presentation from Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, Vice Head of Solid Waste Management at Hanoi's Department of Agriculture and Environment who outlined the city's policy trajectory and communicated on Hanoi plan to: advance into AI- and IoT-enabled sorting stations, transfer into closed-loop recycling technology, scale up biodegradable alternatives to single-use plastics, and expand incentives for green manufacturing.

Over the two days, participants examined how plastic leakage may occur across the recycling value chain, from household disposal and informal collection to craft villages, junk shops, transport, storage, and recycling operations. The discussions emphasized that recycling remains an important part of waste reduction and circular economy efforts, but that leakage can occur when source segregation, collection, sorting, and processing are not properly managed.

A key feature of the Hanoi workshop was the depth of stakeholder dialogue it generated. Representatives from government, the municipal waste operator, private manufacturers, academia, and civil society organizations discussed challenges specific to Hanoi's waste system, including limited enforcement of source-segregation regulations, collection fees that remain low relative to operating costs, the growth of unregulated scrap-collection yards, and the difficulty of connecting recyclers to stable markets for low-value plastics. These issues were explored not only as technical problems, but also as questions of governance, financing, and behaviour change requiring coordination among ward authorities, waste collectors, businesses, and residents.

Following sessions on behaviour change and the APPCR approach to identifying and preventing plastic losses in recycling operations, participants discussed practical measures for strengthening source segregation, improving collection systems, and supporting recyclers through clearer Extended Producer Responsibility guidance and incentive-based schemes. Local examples raised included pilot pay-as-you-throw and reward-based collection programmes, reflecting Hanoi's ongoing efforts to test locally adapted solutions.

Through interactive discussions and stakeholder dialogue, the Hanoi workshop created a platform for participants to connect technical knowledge with local realities. The activity reinforced that preventing plastic leakage requires not only improved recycling practices, but also stronger source segregation, financing, enforcement, and coordinated action across government, businesses, and communities.