Laws and Regulations

National Laws and Regulation

A.  Regulation

As the waste management issue has only recently surfaced in Lao PDR, the country does not yet have regulations on general waste management (MoNRE, 2012). However, Lao PDR has several legal frameworks related to solid waste management:

1. Environmental Protection Law No. 29/NA 2013

   Enacted in 2012 as a revised version of the Environmental Protection law No. 02-99/NA 1999, this law requires individuals or organisations that potentially emit pollutants to take measures to prevent environmental degradation caused by several materials, including waste (Article 25). The separation of general waste should be based on recycling, reuse, reprocessing, and elimination. Treatment of toxic and hazardous waste encompasses dumping, burning, cremation, burying, or elimination (Article 38). The law restricts importation of toxic and hazardous waste. Specific regulations apply to business enterprises and hospitals that produce hazardous waste (Article 39).

2. Industrial Waste Discharge Regulation No. 180/MIH 1994

   This regulation aims to manage threats from the disposal of industrial waste or wastewater that can detrimentally impact water quality, health, and human life (Article 1). Any solid materials, including plastic bags, are prohibited from being disposed of into the environment and public water sources (Article 3 number 3.3). Additionally, industries treating their waste should follow the standard set by the regulation (Article 8).

3. Law on Industrial Processing No. 10/PO 1999

   Wastes from manufacturing must be discharged based on methods and locations set by regulations (Article 19).

4. Decree on Waste Management for Healthcare Facilities (No. 1706/MOH, 2/7/2004)

   This regulates several actions related to waste from healthcare facilities, such as the mechanism of waste separation (Article 8), collection and storage (Article 9), management and internal relocation (Article 10), and collective storage and length of time (Article 12 and 13) (Sato et al., 2018).

B.   Policy

In addition to these legal frameworks, Lao PDR has also published complementary policy frameworks in the forms of guidelines, such as the following:

1. Guideline on Solid Waste Management and Elimination (No. 0233/MoNRE, 20/01/2020)

   The Guideline on Solid Waste Management and Elimination, issued by the Department of Pollution Control under the MoNRE, provides a comprehensive framework for implementing recommended practices in solid waste management. It outlines key strategies to improve waste management, including:

   · Identifying sources and types of solid waste (Section II): The guideline categorizes different types of waste and their sources to facilitate more effective management;

   · Promoting waste reduction through sorting and applying the 3Rs principles (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) (Section III): It encourages waste minimization at the source by segregating waste into different types for appropriate handling;

   · Proposing solid waste management systems (Section V): Recommendations are provided for establishing waste management systems that improve collection, treatment, and disposal practices.

2. Guideline on Plastic Free Office and Meeting

   The guideline, issued by the Department of Environmental Promotion under the MoNRE with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), aims to guide offices across all sectors—government, state enterprises, and private organizations—in reducing the use of single-use plastics during meetings and daily operations. It provides practical recommendations, including:

   · a list of single-use plastic items commonly used in meetings, along with suggested sustainable alternatives;

   · Recommended actions to minimize single-use plastic use in office settings, promoting more sustainable practices;

   · Waste segregation practices, encouraging proper sorting and management of waste to support recycling and reduction efforts.

Updated as of 10 January 2025.