Vietnam

In Vietnam, stories were collected across Da Nang City, Tuyen Quang Province, and Gia Lai Province. A total of forty-three stories were collected from individuals working in diverse sectors including plastic waste, agriculture, WASH, and others.

Through the selection process, thirty stories were chosen from the original forty-three. These thirty stories were transcribed and analyzed using a qualitative analysis process. During the selection process, the committee raised questions about how the terms “prosperous” and “resilient” were defined. Major themes that resonated with the Selection Committee included livelihoods in remote communities, formal plastic waste management, and storytellers who overcame challenges relating to climate change. 

Stories that stood out included the story of a vegetable grower who supplied wholesale markets in Da Nang. This farmer experienced flooding due to climate change, and suffered from health issues, but still aspired to expand his cultivation to 10 hectares. Themes in this story included the effects of climate change, volatile prices for agricultural products, high input costs, and health issues. Another impactful story was about the owner of a scrap business who struggled with volatile buying and selling prices. This story emphasized that many people working in the scrap business were women in their fifties and sixties with declining health, and  also echoed themes from the previous story including market price volatility and health problems.

With the exception of two individuals from Cambodia, all themes relating to Plastic Waste and Circular Economy were found in Vietnam. Within the plastic waste sector, challenges included the long distances traveled to purchase items, the difficulty in expanding collection due to financial limitations, and the lack of classification of available waste. Storytellers recounted that the volatile market mechanism and limited workspace led to unstable product output. One waste collector emphasized the importance of waste segregation at the source to increase the value of recycled plastic products. Storytellers also mentioned the challenges of working with informal waste workers, the fluctuating market prices, impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic, and the difficulties faced by older workers in this field. Despite challenges, there was a shared desire for increased awareness, community involvement, and improved waste segregation moving forward.