The TVA project has been implemented since 2021 with funding from the Norwegian people through WWF-Norway and WWF-Vietnam, and was officially received and executed by the Hue City People's Committee. The consistent goal is to protect rivers, wetland ecosystems, and coastal areas from plastic waste pollution, aiming to develop Hue into a model plastic-reducing urban area in Central Vietnam.
In 2021, research by WWF-Vietnam indicated that Hue generated over 400 tons of domestic waste daily, including more than 60 tons of plastic waste. At that time, source-sorting of waste had not been implemented systematically, putting immense pressure on the collection and treatment systems as well as the natural environment. Facing this reality, Hue officially joined WWF International's Plastic Smart Cities program on November 11, 2021, kickstarting its transformation journey through a comprehensive suite of solutions ranging from policy and infrastructure to community behavior change.
Mr. Hoang Hai Minh, Vice Chairman of the Hue City People's Committee, delivers the opening remarks at the program.
Tangible Transformations From the Community to the Urban Scale
After 5 years of implementation, the TVA project has achieved outstanding results in solid waste management and plastic pollution reduction in Hue City. Most notably, it has contributed to preventing 933.6 tons of plastic waste from leaking into the natural environment, while simultaneously deploying a domestic solid waste source-sorting program across 100% of Hue City's territory. This is considered a major shift in forming waste-sorting habits within the community.
The project also supported various equipment and infrastructure items for waste collection and transportation—such as compactor trucks, storage bins, and post-sorting collection solutions—with a total in-kind sponsorship value of over VND 26 billion. Through intervention activities, more than 750 tons of organic waste were collected for composting, and over 4,401 tons of waste were cleared from water catchments, including nearly 823 tons of plastic waste.
Beyond technical infrastructure, the project created a powerful shift in social awareness. More than 100 organizations and associations, alongside 331 businesses, participated in plastic reduction initiatives. Hundreds of communication campaigns, training workshops, and community education programs reached nearly 1.6 million residents.
Summary video of the project "Hue - Plastic Smart City in Central Vietnam".
In the educational sector, the "Plastic Reduction School" model was rolled out across 190 schools, helping to shape a green lifestyle mindset for students from an early age.
Speaking at the closing workshop, Mr. Nguyen Vinh Hung, Deputy Director of the Hue City Department of Education and Training, added: "The entire sector has organized 581 integrated lessons, developed 161 electronic lectures, and deployed hundreds of environmental activities involving tens of thousands of students." Models such as the “Green House,” “Trash for Gifts,” environmental clubs, and school waste audits have helped students become “green ambassadors,” actively spreading the spirit of plastic reduction to their families and communities.
Parallel to education, the tourism sector also recorded positive turnarounds. Hundreds of tourism and service businesses signed plastic reduction pledges. Numerous plastic-reduced tour options, green community destinations, and free water-refill station networks were set up to curb single-use plastics.
Speaking online from Hanoi, Ms. Hilde Solbakken welcomed the project's positive outcomes and reaffirmed Norway’s priority in reducing marine pollution, particularly in preventing plastic waste from leaking into the ocean. She emphasized: “This is a special project because the funding comes directly from the Norwegian people. In 2020, the annual fundraising TV show organized by the Norwegian national broadcaster raised over USD 25 million to support marine litter counter-efforts in several Southeast Asian countries. WWF's project in Hue received 10% of this funding, and the achieved results speak for themselves. This is thanks to WWF's efforts along with the strong determination and support from the government, the people of Hue City, and relevant partners.”
Mr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan - Director General of the International Cooperation Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development speaks at the program.
Highly appreciating the enduring support of WWF-Norway, WWF-Vietnam, and development partners who have accompanied Vietnam in general and Hue City in particular on this plastic reduction journey, Mr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan - Director General of the International Cooperation Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) acknowledged Hue's pioneering role. From small initiatives that change consumer behavior to mobilizing the participation of communities, businesses, schools, and social organizations, Hue has step-by-step shaped a plastic-reducing urban model with its own distinct identity: harmonizing heritage conservation, green development, and the enhancement of citizens' quality of life.
The representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development also asserted that this is a vivid testament to the effectiveness of international cooperation in addressing global environmental challenges through concrete and practical local actions.
Continuing to Spread Vietnam's Model Plastic Smart City
At the workshop, many delegates evaluated that TVA was not merely an environmental project, but a journey of changing the way a city operates, develops, and interacts with the environment.
Speaking at the event, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dieu Thuy stated: “After 5 years of implementation, the TVA project has not only brought about specific results in plastic waste reduction but also contributed to changing the awareness and behavior of the community, building a foundation for Hue to continue developing in line with a green and sustainable urban orientation. The project's success is a testament to the power of collaboration among the government, international organizations, businesses, and citizens in jointly solving environmental pollution challenges, especially plastic pollution.”
The representative of WWF-Vietnam emphasized: “The project 'Hue – Plastic Smart City in Central Vietnam' is not just an environmental project. This is a journey of change — change in awareness, in action, and in the way we collectively build the future of a Green – Clean – Bright urban area.”
Sharing plastic reduction and solid waste management stories on the sidelines of the workshop.
The milestones achieved played an important role in helping Hue become the leading locality nationwide in the Provincial Environmental Protection Performance Index (PEPI) in 2024; earning the title of ASEAN Clean Tourist City 2024, and most recently, being honored as the National Green City in 2026.
Furthermore, Hue is one of the pioneering localities in applying technology to waste management with solutions such as AI monitoring for illegal trash dumping, integrating sorted waste storage points on the Hue-S smart application, and building a city-wide solid waste management database.
Acknowledging and highly evaluating the practical fruits that the TVA project has brought to Hue City, Vice Chairman of the Hue City People's Committee Hoang Hai Minh affirmed that in the coming time, the Hue City People's Committee commits to continuing to accompany localities, businesses, organizations, and the community to turn plastic reduction initiatives into regular, long-term activities. This will contribute to enhancing the quality of the living environment and building Hue’s image as a friendly, green, sustainable, and environmentally responsible destination.
Delegates take a commemorative group photo at the closing workshop of the project "Hue - Plastic Smart City in Central Vietnam".
A project may conclude in terms of time, but the values created by TVA will continue to ripple out. And on that path of green, sustainable development, Hue is step-by-step affirming its position not only as a pioneer plastic-reducing city in the Central region but also as an inspiring model for many localities across the country.