Norway has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling plastic pollution in Southeast Asia through its support of the Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge (EPPIC), a regional initiative that concluded this week in Vietnam.
The official closure of EPPIC was marked at an event in Hanoi on 9 September 2025, highlighting how the programme has nurtured local innovators, scaled up community-driven solutions, and engaged informal waste workers in efforts to reduce marine litter.
Mr Erlend Skutlaberg, representing the Norwegian Embassy in Hanoi, underlined the importance of the project: “We are so happy to see the Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge (EPPIC) initiative was successfully concluded. In addition to the telling numbers about the project’s outcome and how it contributes to the common efforts to combat plastic pollution and marine litter in Vietnam and in the region, it is also impressive to see how EPPIC has empowered women-led solutions, engaged informal waste works, and fostered innovations, which are very crucial to make the changes in the long run.”
EPPIC, funded by Norway and implemented with UNDP, has tested innovative approaches to plastic waste management in Vietnam and the wider region. According to the Norwegian Embassy, the initiative is part of Norway’s global responsibility to protect the oceans, which remain central to both its economy and way of life.
Plastic pollution is a major environmental challenge in Vietnam, threatening ecosystems, human health, and livelihoods. The Vietnamese government has adopted a national action plan on marine plastic waste management and is advancing its “Blue Economy” strategy to address these issues.
Source: VietnamNews
