Our Collaboration with UNDP Viet Nam to Make Plastic Recycling Safer for Workers

Workers are at the heart of Vietnam’s plastic recycling sector, helping to keep valuable materials in circulation. Yet many face occupational safety and health (OSH) risks in their daily work, particularly those working informally and further down the recycling value chain.

In August 2026, The Centre for Child Rights and Business delivered a series of OSH training and consultation activities in Bac Ninh and Nghe An provinces as part of the Responsible Sourcing Initiative (RSI) under the UNDP Viet Nam’s Plastic Circularity Project. The activities engaged workers and businesses across different tiers of the plastic recycling supply chain, with a focus on practical measures to improve workplace safety and strengthen support for workers.

Practical safety training for workers

Two OSH training workshops took place in Bac Ninh and Nghe An in early August, with 35 participants from aggregators, big junk shops, small junk shops and informal waste workers in the recycling value chain in Bac Ninh and 25 participants in Nghe An. The sessions were organised in collaboration with the recycler VIKOHASAN, with support from UNDP.

During the training workshops, participants explored common hazards associated with waste collection, sorting, handling and processing, as well as practical ways to identify and manage workplace risks.

The training covered hazard identification and risk assessment, the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE), accident and fire prevention, emergency response and basic first aid. The Centre also provided PPE kits to participating workers and guidance on how to use them properly.

Both training workshops were followed by focus group discussions with informal waste workers in surrounding areas. The discussion provided an opportunity to hear directly about their experiences and explore opportunities to establish a network that could provide further support.

One waste worker at Viet Xanh in Nghe An Province shared:

“I found the occupational safety and training extremely valuable because it helped me and my colleagues understand and correctly identify the different types of hazards associated with our daily work, as well as improve our knowledge of fire safety, enabling us to work more safely."

The activities highlighted the importance of looking at working conditions across the full plastic recycling value chain. Workers at different tiers can face very different risks, while those working informally may have less access to workplace safety training, protective equipment and other forms of support.

For this reason, the project combined OSH training with direct consultation with workers. These discussions help build a better understanding of the risks and challenges faced by workers further down the supply chain, while identifying opportunities for longer-term support and collaboration.

The Centre’s work forms part of UNDP Viet Nam’s Plastic Circularity Project, funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation. The project aims to improve working conditions and strengthen protection for waste workers, contributing to a safer, more transparent and more responsible plastic recycling value chain.

By engaging recyclers, businesses and workers across multiple tiers, the project is helping to identify practical steps towards safer working conditions and stronger worker support throughout Viet Nam’s plastic recycling sector.