Nguyen Thi Khanh

Vietnamese environmental activist leading community-based solutions to combat plastic pollution

Nguyen Thi Khanh is a visionary environmental leader from Vietnam whose grassroots initiatives have transformed how communities address plastic pollution. Born in 1978 in Da Nang, she co-founded GreenViet in 2002, an organization that mobilized over 50,000 volunteers by 2023 to clean coastal areas and educate communities on sustainable practices. Her work gained international recognition when National Geographic featured her in a 2016 documentary "Plastic Oceans: Vietnam's Fight Back".

Khanh's innovation lies in her Community Plastic Bank model, where local households earn credits by recycling plastic waste. This system has been replicated in 12 Southeast Asian countries through her Asia-Pacific Recycling Network. Her partnership with UNEP led to the Blue Communities Program, which trains fishermen to collect ocean plastics while maintaining livelihoods. By 2022, this initiative had removed 1.2 million kilograms of plastic from the South China Sea.

In 2019, Khanh launched the Plastic Free Asia initiative, a coalition of 80+ NGOs and corporations. She pioneered the Zero Waste Marketplaces concept, now operating in 15 Vietnamese cities where biodegradable packaging and bulk purchasing reduce single-use plastics by 70%. Her advocacy influenced Vietnam's 2025 Plastic Waste Management Strategy, which includes a ban on single-use plastics in coastal areas.

Khanh's leadership extends to education - she developed the Green Curriculum integrated into 500 schools, teaching students about circular economies. Her TED Talk "Fishing for Solutions" has over 2 million views. She was awarded the Global Eco-Hero Prize (2021) and the UNEP Champion of the Earth (2023) for her systemic approach to environmental justice.