Applying the “Deposit - Refund” mechanism to collect plastic bottles - Case study in Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

The situation of improper disposal of plastic bottles in residential communities causing environmental pollution, especially in Ho Chi Minh City, is a worrying issue. In order to contribute to waste management activities and reduce plastic waste in the environment, the research team applied the "Deposit - Refund" tool in collecting PET plastic bottles to build a "borrowing water bottle" model locally. Through the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), direct interviews with 202 consumers in Ho Chi Minh City using a questionnaire to survey the willingness to pay based on the assumption that consumers are willing to pay more when buying a PET plastic water bottle, the authors determined the "Deposit" fee for collecting used PET bottles. The results showed that the willingness to pay for the "Deposit" fee is from 1,200 - 2,000 VND/bottle depending on the PET volumne; the willingness of consumers to participate in the "borrowing water bottle" program is over 88%. From this result, the study proposed to implement the "borrowing water bottle" model in Ho Chi Minh City to collect used PET bottles for recycling, reuse, environmental protection.