Abstract

This article examines the responsibility of households and individuals for source separation of domestic solid waste in Vietnam from both legal and implementation perspectives. Based on the 2026 consolidated Law on Environmental Protection, Decree No. 45/2022/ND-CP, and recent studies on municipal solid waste management, it argues that Vietnamese law has established key duties for waste generators, including waste reduction, separation, temporary storage, proper handover, and payment of service charges. However, a considerable gap persists between legal requirements and everyday practice due to limited guidance, inadequate infrastructure, non-separated collection routes, incompatible treatment facilities, unclear fee mechanisms, and weak stakeholder coordination. The article argues that household responsibility should be understood not as an isolated legal obligation but as part of a broader service, community, and recycling-market chain. It proposes clearer classi'cation guidance, synchronized infrastructure, conditional enforcement, economic incentives, waste-bank models, and equity-based support for groups facing higher compliance costs.

Keywords: Circular economy, domestic solid waste, households, legal responsibility, source separation, waste bank.