15.4.2 – Policy on plastic waste reduction
The University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) implements its campus plastic waste reduction policy through the Green Campus Regulations issued under Decision No. 2059/QD-DHKT-CSVC. The policy aims to reduce single-use plastics in learning, work, procurement, services and events, while encouraging reusable materials and improved plastic waste sorting and collection. In 2025, UEH continued implementing the policy through the Towards No Single-use Plastic Future campaign and the No Single-use Plastic Campus System initiative, maintaining and expanding smart plastic bottle collection devices and programmes that promote changes in consumption behaviour across the university community.
1. Internal commitments and supporting policies
UEH’s plastic waste reduction policy is founded on the Green Campus Regulations – UEH Green Campus, issued with Decision No. 2059/QD-DHKT-CSVC in 2022 and applicable to UEH campuses and its Vinh Long Branch (UEH Mekong). The regulations aim to build a culture of responsible resource use among staff, employees, students, campus visitors and relevant service providers.
Building on the framework established in 2022, UEH maintained, strengthened and expanded its plastic waste reduction measures throughout 2025. These provisions address the restriction and reduction of single-use plastics in learning, work, procurement, service delivery and event organisation, specifically as follows:
UEH applies the 3R (Reduce – Reuse – Recycle), which prioritises reduction at the beginning of the consumption cycle to prevent waste generation, extends product lifespans through reuse, and uses sorting and recycling to recover materials and limit plastic leakage into the environment. This principle guides daily activities and learning across UEH and provides the foundation for campus plastic waste reduction programmes.
Public source: UEH Green Campus Website, “3R Practices – Changing to Become Green Citizens”
https://gogreen.ueh.edu.vn/en/ueh-green-campus/3r-practice
Article 8, Clauses 1–4 – Policy on reducing single-use plastics on UEH campuses sets out the objective of restricting, replacing and progressively eliminating single-use plastic products and non-biodegradable materials in teaching, research, everyday activities and events. These provisions prioritise personal water bottles and reusable materials, reducing plastic packaging in canteens and services, integrating plastic reduction criteria into procurement and event organisation, encouraging recycling, and assigning responsibility for monitoring and evaluation.
Article 8, Clauses 1–4 – Policy on reducing single-use plastics on UEH campuses under the Green Campus Regulations issued pursuant to Decision No. 2059/QD-DHKT-CSVC
Public source: UEH Green Campus Website, “Green Campus Regulations”
https://gogreen.ueh.edu.vn/en/green-campus-regulations
Article 5, Clause 10 – UEH continues to identify reducing single-use plastic waste on campus as a core principle of Green Campus practice.
Article 17 – Responsibilities of goods and service providers, UEH requires providers to sort waste, encourages reusable containers, prioritises sustainable solutions, and calls for commitments to gradually reduce single-use plastic and paper products.
Article 18 – UEH requires conferences, seminars and festivals to sort waste at source, avoid distributing free non-biodegradable plastic packaging, serve food and drinks in reusable containers, and prioritise environmentally friendly materials over single-use plastic products.
In addition, UEH operates a campus waste sorting and collection system under Article 3 – Waste sorting practices at UEH using the UEH Green Campus – Go Green Station model. The seven-category system separately collects liquids, food waste, metals, recyclable plastics, paper, beverage cartons and residual waste; a three-category system separates food waste, recyclables and residual waste in smaller areas. Recyclable plastic materials are sorted at source and transferred to collection partners through the Campus Recyclable Waste Circular System for recycling, preventing mixing with other waste and improving material recovery.
Article 8, Clauses 6–8 further clarifies the approach to plastic waste sorting, reuse and recycling, as well as the monitoring and inspection responsibilities of UEH units. Article 12, Clauses 4, 5, 8 and 9 establishes the direction for maintaining recycling partnerships, reducing plastic bag consumption and continuously improving Green Campus practices.
 |
 |
UEH Go Green Station sorting bins help separate and recycle plastic waste and reduce plastic leakage into the environment.
The campus recyclable waste circular system supports proper waste collection, sorting and recycling, including plastic waste.
2. Innovative solution: “UEH No Single-use Plastic Campus System”
Building on the “Towards No Single-use Plastic Campus Future” initiative, UEH developed the “No Single-use Plastic Campus System”, integrating behavioral education, institutional regulations, technological solutions, and stakeholder engagement to address all stages of user behavior related to single-use plastic waste.
UEH identified students as the primary target group because single-use plastic materials are convenient, accessible and inexpensive. Accordingly, UEH implemented an integrated system of single-use plastic reduction solutions addressing five behavioural stages as follows:
Stage 1 – Need: UEH organises education programmes, the UEH Green Campus – Game platform and communication campaigns to raise awareness and establish a shared knowledge base. When the need for a single-use plastic product arises, users are encouraged to consider whether it is necessary, avoid it where possible or choose more sustainable alternatives, such as personal water bottles, reusable containers and environmentally friendly products, thereby preventing plastic waste at source.
Stage 2 – Purchase and use: UEH integrates the Green Campus Practice Regulations and nine actions to reduce single-use plastics into on-campus purchasing, consumption and daily activities, guiding responsible product use. Users are encouraged to avoid unnecessary plastic products, prioritise reusable items, use products appropriately and extend their useful lives, reducing plastic waste generated through consumption.
Stage 3 – Disposal: UEH integrates the UEH Green Campus – Go Green Station system with three-category and seven-category waste sorting models, guiding students to sort waste correctly at source and facilitating collection, recycling and recirculation of materials to reduce plastic waste entering the environment.
Stage 4 – Sorting: UEH applies technologies such as Zeen AI Bot and i Ve Chai Machine to help students identify and correctly sort waste at source, while developing their knowledge and responsible sorting habits to improve collection and recycling efficiency.
Automated plastic bottle and aluminium can collection machine at UEH, developed in collaboration with BOTOL.
Stage 5 – Recycling and reuse: UEH works with specialist partners, including Ve Chai Chú Hỏa, Môi trường Á Châu and BOTOL, to collect and process properly sorted recyclable waste, reducing resource loss and environmental impacts. UEH also aims to return recycled products for student use, helping learners understand the journey of waste and the value of the circular economy.
The “No Single-use Plastic Campus System” initiative at UEH.
Public source: UEH Portal, “UEH Successfully Secures USD 10,000 in Funding from the Plastic Innovation Programme 2025”, 2 July 2025
Nine actions calling for the reduction of single-use plastics across UEH campuses.
Public source: smART Hub Living Labs – “Package 1 – No Single-use Plastic Journey”
https://iscm.ueh.edu.vn/smart-hub-living-labs/pages/package-1/index.html
This UEH initiative was selected among the top 10 of 116 proposals nationwide and received USD 10,000 in funding from the Plastic Innovation Programme (PIP), organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The funding supports improvements to the plastic waste circular system, partner connections, technological development and the gradual scaling of the solution across 14 UEH campuses. This result demonstrates the continuation and development of UEH’s plastic reduction policy in 2025, from regulations and behavioural interventions to technology-supported waste management, towards reducing single-use plastics and advancing a circular economy across the university.
UEH receives an award at the Plastic Innovation Programme 2025.
Public source: UEH Portal, “UEH Successfully Secures USD 10,000 in Funding from the Plastic Innovation Programme 2025”, 2 July 2025
3. Evidence of programmes and events implemented in 2025
| No. | Programme/
Project |
Format/
Category |
Description | Public source |
| 1 | Towards No Single-use Plastic Future at Vo Thi Sau Campus | Campus implementation of single-use plastic reduction; Behaviour-change communication | UEH continued installing communication signs and visual guidance throughout Campus V, particularly in the canteen area, to promote nine plastic reduction actions. The messages “Reduce For More” and “Sorting for Change” encouraged personal water bottles, reusable items, reduced packaging and correct waste sorting. This was a point-of-use plastic reduction activity directly connected to everyday campus life.
Communication signs encouraging single-use plastic reduction at UEH Vo Thi Sau Campus. |
UEH Green Campus Website, “Art and Sustainable Action Converge at Vo Thi Sau Campus – Towards a Single-use Plastic-free Future”, 6 May 2026 |
| 2 | I Ve Chai Machine – “Smart Recycling – Rewards Arrive” Event | Technology-enabled PET bottle collection; Event supporting plastic waste sorting and recycling | During the first two weeks of March 2026, the UEH Green Campus Project and BOTOL Vietnam jointly organised PET plastic bottle collection and recycling activities using BOTOL – i Ve Chai Machines at UEH campuses. The programme recorded 482 plastic bottles and aluminium cans collected, with more than 250 students participating. It introduced students to recycling technology, promoted environmental stewardship across the university community, encouraged better disposal habits and motivated students to sort waste proactively and participate in sustainability initiatives.
Students participate in plastic bottle collection and recycling using an automated plastic bottle and aluminium can collection machine. |
UEH Green Campus Website, “Recycling Plastic Bottles and Aluminium Cans with the I Ve Chai Machine at the ‘Smart Recycling – Rewards Arrive’ Event”, 4 April 2025 |
| 3 | BOTOL x Nopa Move – Plastic Bottle Recycling Challenge | Plastic bottle collection and recycling event; Encouraging the use of personal water bottles | From 1 to 30 August 2025, the BOTOL x Nopa Move recycling challenge took place at UEH Campus B, attracting student participation and encouraging recycling habits and awareness of sustainable consumption. The event recorded more than 200 participations, collected 1,996 plastic bottles and awarded 30 exclusive personal water bottles from Nopa Move. Students were inspired to incorporate recycling into their daily routines, protect the environment through small actions and practise responsible consumption on campus.
Students take part in collecting and recycling plastic bottles in exchange for personal water bottles. |
UEH Green Campus Website, “BOTOL and Nopa Move Recycling Challenge: 1,996 Plastic Bottles Collected and 30 Personal Water Bottles Awarded”, 20 October 2025 |
| 4 | “Eco Spark” Recycling and Reuse Activity Series under UEH Green Campus 2025 | Recycling workshops; Environmental education; Reuse practices | From 20 August to 4 September 2025, the “Eco Spark” activities were conducted as part of UEH Green Campus 2025 by the UEH Collaborator Team. Combining creative communication posts, the “7 Days Challenge: One Green Step” practical challenge and a plastic bottle recycling workshop, the programme raised awareness about managing persistent waste and encouraged UEH students to embrace green living, reduce waste and reuse old items to create useful products. These activities contributed to a greener and more sustainable university environment.
Educational communication series on plastic waste and the identification of different plastic types. 
Online challenge encouraging students to practise plastic waste reduction for seven days. 
Workshop on transforming plastic bottles into decorative objects to raise environmental awareness. |
UEH Green Campus Website, “Eco Spark Recycling and Reuse Activity Series under UEH Green Campus 2025”, 9 September 2025 |
| 5 | Go Green with CELG – Exchange a Lanyard, Share Good Fortune | Reuse of items; Internal green-living communication | On 25 December 2025, UEH College of Economics, Law and Government (CELG) held its fourth regular academic session of 2025 on “Can Economics and History Have a Happy Marriage?”. The session included “Exchange a Lanyard, Share Good Fortune”, an activity encouraging the collection and reuse of items and discouraging the disposal of products that still have value. The activity brought a message of sustainable consumption to lecturers, administrative staff and employees.
CELG academic session and accompanying lanyard exchange activity. |
UEH Portal, “CELG Academic Session 4/2025: An Engaging Perspective on the Relationship Between Economics and History, Spreading the Green Living Message”, 30 December 2025 |
| 6 | Student Course Project: “Refill and Reuse – Bring Your Own Bottle” | Behaviour-change communication; Reducing single-use plastics and encouraging reuse on campus | In 2025, as part of the Social Marketing course, students from the Department of International Business, UEH College of Business, conducted the “Refill and Reuse – Bring Your Own Bottle” campaign to advance UEH’s single-use plastic reduction goals by encouraging personal water bottles instead of plastic cups. A survey of 226 students and interviews with 22 students found that over 90% recognised the benefits of personal bottles, but only approximately 19% used them consistently. The campaign featured free water refill stations and DIY sticker decoration for reusable bottles to encourage behaviour change. Over two pilot days, more than 240 students participated; nearly 75% reported better understanding of the harms of single-use plastic cups, and over 50% were willing to share the message with friends and family. The activity helped turn awareness into responsible consumption, promoting reuse and preventing plastic waste at source.
Students bring personal water bottles to participate in the programme. |
Future UEH Website, “[Unbox Glo-cal Class] ‘Refill and Reuse’ – Inspiring a Green Lifestyle Through One Small Habit: Bringing Your Own Bottle!”, 10 September 2025 |
| 7 | Research: “Students’ Awareness and Behaviour Regarding Single-use Plastics – The Impact of Green Products” | Scientific research; Raising awareness and promoting sustainable consumption | In 2025, a UEH student research group investigated awareness and behaviour regarding single-use plastics, focusing on how students perceive the environmental impacts of plastic products and select green alternatives. The findings contributed knowledge to inform UEH’s communication and education programmes and encourage changes in consumption habits, supporting the reduction of single-use plastic use across the university community.
|
UEH Green Campus Website, “[Research Contribution] Students’ Awareness and Behaviour Regarding Single-use Plastics – The Impact of Green Products”, 7 August 2025 |
4. Conclusion
Based on the Green Campus Practice Regulations issued under Decision No. 2059/QD-DHKT-CSVC, UEH continued to maintain and strengthen its campus plastic waste reduction policy during 2024–2025. The policy seeks to prevent single-use plastic waste, encourage reusable items, improve waste sorting and recycling at source, and promote accountability among the university community, service providers and event organisers.
In 2025, UEH further implemented the policy through behaviour-change programmes, technology-assisted waste collection and sorting, partnerships with recyclers, and development of the No Single-use Plastic Campus System initiative. The combination of regulations, infrastructure and practical activities demonstrates continuity in UEH’s implementation of its plastic reduction policy, contributing to greener campuses, the circular economy, indicator 15.4.2 and related Sustainable Development Goals.