The first eco-plastic plant in Vietnam will be built in the Mekong Delta province of Long An, said Nguyen Hoang Duy, Head of Vietnam Plastic House Co Ltd, on Wednesday.

Rubbish is thrown freely in Soc Son District, Hanoi

The project will be built in an industrial zone in Long An Province, with a total investment of US$10 million and an annual capacity of 3,000 tonnes of eco-plastic bags.

This is a joint venture between the Vietnam Plastic House Co Ltd and a biodegradable plastics company in Guangzhou Province, China.

The joint project will produce compostable plastic bags using domestic materials and material for some other eco-plastic producers.

According to Zhu Guang Fu, chairman of the Chinese company, the plant makes bio-plastic particles from wheat flour and hopes it will gradually replace traditional materials, Vietnam News Agency reports.

This is the first biodegradable plastic plant in Vietnam using advanced technology with investment from member companies of the HCM City Plastic Association. Under the association's plan, there will be four biodegradable plastic plants in Vietnam and three similar plants in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

According to Tran Cong Hoang Quoc Trang, the association chairman, eco-plastic resin is made from cellulose, tapioca and additives. After 1.5—2 years, the eco-plastic bag automatically disintegrates, the Dien dan Doanh nghiep newspaper reports.

The Chinese partner will transfer the technology and production line to the plant in Long An, while the Vietnamese partner will manage the production of the plant.

By 2020, the project hopes to reduce the use of non-biodegradable nylon bags by 65 per cent in supermarkets and by 50 per cent in wet markets, alongside collecting and recycling 50 per cent of these harmful items.