This is the flow of plastic in the Vietnamese province of Phu Yen, from factories to the sea – and how it might be changed. | Graphic: D. Tosi Robinson et al. (2025)

In the Vietnamese province of Phu Yen, a lot of plastic ends up in the sea. The main problem is rubbish that is left uncollected (red). Researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) and Phenikaa University in Vietnam have confirmed this by means of field observations and a flow diagram tool. But they have discovered one solution that is surprisingly sustainable: Informal waste collectors who go from door to door, sorting plastic waste for purposes of recycling (green). Analyses like these can point to local possibilities for improving the situation.

D. Tosi Robinson et al.: Regional land-based plastic leakage into the aquatic environment – Waste Flow Diagram applied to the Phu Yen province, Vietnam. Marine Pollution Bulletin (2025)