On November 7, 2023, Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) published an Ecolabel criterion for environmentally friendly plastic packaging (NSTVN - 01:2023 Environmentally Friendly Plastic Packaging) through Decision 3257/QD-BTNMT, which came into effect immediately. This criterion is to encourage sustainable production and consumption, minimize solid waste, save resources through recycling and reusing plastic packaging, etc.

As per the decision, the environmentally friendly plastic packaging mentioned in the criterion refers to biodegradable plastic packaging and recycled plastic packaging manufactured with polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP) plastic as the main raw material, in bag form or film form to cover, contain and protect products’ use value. The criterion covers general criteria and specific criteria for raw material, material used during packaging production, technical characteristics, the maximum limit for pollutants like fluorine, test method as well as the requirements for recovery, recycling, treatment, and disposal. Key requirements are listed in Table 1.

Table 1: Key content of NSTVN - 01:2023

What is Ecolabel

According to Vietnam’s Law on Environmental Protection 2020, Vietnam's Ecolabel is a label certified by the competent authority (MONRE) for environmentally friendly products and services. Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BTNMT Detailing a number of articles of the Law on Environmental Protection further explains that Vietnam Ecolabel criteria are built on the basis of assessing the impact of the entire life cycle of products and services from the use of raw material, production, distribution, use of product, to recycling after disposal. Products with Ecolabel indicate that they cause less harm to the environment than similar products.

Moreover, as per Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BTNMT, Ecolabel criteria are the basis for evaluating environmentally friendly products and services and are designed for each group of products and services respectively. The logo for Ecolabel can be found in Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP on the elaboration of several Articles of the Law on Environmental Protection.

Figure 1: Vietnam Ecolabel logo

What’s the difference between Ecolabel with Green Label?

Enterprises who are familiar with Vietnam’s market may know Vietnam Green Label through Circular 41/2013/TT-BTNMT on Providing Orders, Procedures, and Certification for Eco-labels for Environmentally Friendly Products, which stipulates that the ecolabel regulated in this Circular is named Vietnam Green Label. Later in 2014 and 2017, the authority issued several green label criteria for different products, including the one for biodegradable plastic packaging: NXVN 03:2014 — Biodegradable Plastic Packaging.

Figure 2: Vietnam Green Label logo

However, Circular 41/2013/TT-BTNMT is set to become invalid after 30 December 2023, as indicated in Article 3.1 of Circular 19/2023/TT-BTNMT. Therefore, enterprises that want to obtain the ecolabel certificate for their biodegradable plastic packaging now can follow NSTVN-01:2023. For enterprises that have already obtained the green label certification for their products as per NXVN 03:2014 — Biodegradable Plastic Packaging, the green label certificate remains valid until the expiry date stated in the green label certificate as per Decree 08/2022/ND-CP.

Rights and obligations of Ecolabel certification

It is voluntary to apply for Vietnam’s Ecolabel. As per Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP on the elaboration of several Articles of the Law on Environmental Protection, domestic and foreign organizations are encouraged to use environmentally friendly products and services certified with the Vietnam Ecolabel.

Once manufacturers get products certified with the Vietnam Ecolabel, they are entitled to preferential policies as prescribed in Section 2, Chapter 10 of Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP. However, the decision on Vietnam Ecolabel certification issued to the product or service shall be revoked in one of the following cases:

a) The product or service no longer satisfies the Vietnam Ecolabel criteria;

b) The organization or individual producing the product or providing the service fails to fulfill the commitment specified in the application for certification of Vietnam Ecolabel.

Therefore, enterprises wish to use the Ecolabel on their product/service should pay attention to commitment specified in the application for Vietnam Ecolabel certification.

Besides, Vietnam has set a roadmap to limit the production and import of single-use plastic products, plastic packaging that is difficult to biodegrade, and packaging containing microbeads (listed in Table 2). Therefore, under such a sustainability trend in Vietnam, the obtaining of Ecolabel certification can help enhance product competitiveness and attract consumers.

Table 2: Vietnam’s roadmap to control plastic production and import

How to apply?

Procedures and needed materials for Ecolabel application are detailed in Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP. Once approved, the Ecolabel certification will be valid for 3 years.

• [1] https://monre.gov.vn/VanBan/Pages/ChiTietVanBanChiDao.aspx?pID=3021
• [2] sustainability.chemlinked.com