End-of-life motorcycle management towards emission reduction and waste control: Case study of Vietnam

Motorcycles are not only vital to transportation and economies in many Southeast Asia’s countries but also cause substantial air pollution. As alternative electric mobility is increasingly promoted by countries, managing end-of-life (petrol) motorcycles (EoLMs) becomes more urgent. This article addresses the question: How will EoLMs be treated, transformed or disposed of? Vietnam, leading the region in motorcycle ownership, was selected as the case. The authors used a triangulation approach, combining literature review, site observations and semi-structured interviews to examine Vietnam’s EoLM recycling management. Specifically, the article provided motorcycle-related estimations to fill the data gap, based on which numerical warnings on emissions from in-use EoLMs were generated to support the contemporary emission picture. Advantages and limitations of the current legislative framework and recycling system were identified. Finally, a tailored recycling management framework was proposed, incorporating mandatory emission testing, enhanced extended producer responsibility regulations and subsidies for the industry. This study contributes to the limited literature on EoLM management and provides policymakers with an interdisciplinary framework emphasizing stakeholders’ collaboration.