Strengthening occupational safety for workers in the scrap collection chain

August 2026 – UNDP Viet Nam continues to scale up the Responsible Sourcing Initiative (RSI) under the Plastic Circularity Project, through targeted support activities aimed at improving occupational safety and health conditions for workers in waste collection and processing within the plastic value chain network in the two provinces of Nghe An and Bac Ninh.

60 workers trained in Bac Ninh and Nghe An

The capacity-building programme covered occupational safety and health (OSH) protection measures, addressing the risks that waste workers encounter in their daily collection, sorting and handling activities. Through two training sessions in Bac Ninh and Nghe An, the project reached 60 informal waste workers — from junk shops and waste collectors of varying scale — within Vikohasan's plastic recycling value chain in Viet Nam.

Identifying occupational hazards in everyday work

Because of the nature of their work, waste workers are regularly exposed to a wide range of occupational hazards, including physical and chemical hazards alongside biological, labour-related and psychosocial risks. Every day, many of them collect, transport, sort and handle various types of waste using only basic equipment such as bicycles or handcarts.

UNDP's key interventions therefore focus on helping these informal waste workers — including itinerant waste buyers, known locally as ve chai and dong nat — to identify workplace hazards, recognise and assess potential risks, and apply practical mitigation measures. These collectors and workers are also equipped with hands-on knowledge and skills to improve workplace safety, covering the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE), safe working practices, accident prevention and response, fire safety, and basic first aid for common work-related injuries.

Voices from the workers

The Q&A sessions also created space for workers to raise specific safety concerns at their local collection points directly. Ms. Thuy, a worker at the Viet Xanh station in Nghe An, shared:

“I found the occupational safety training very useful, because it helps me and everyone else understand and correctly classify the types of hazards involved in our daily work, as well as learn about fire prevention and firefighting so that we can work more safely.”

The training is part of the Responsible Sourcing Initiative (RSI), delivered under the Plastic Circularity Project funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation and implemented by UNDP in Viet Nam. The initiative works to progressively improve working conditions and strengthen protection for workers across the collection, sorting and recycling chain, moving towards a safer, more transparent and more responsible plastic recycling supply chain.

GreenU's role in the Initiative

GreenU takes part in the Responsible Sourcing Initiative (RSI) under the Plastic Circularity Project as the organisation conducting the baseline survey across Vikohasan's entire collection chain, designing the solutions, and leading monitoring, evaluation and learning for the project.