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 listed below, categorized based on the legal hierarchy and sorted in a chronological order.
Law on Industrial Processing No. 10/PO 1999
Wastes from manufacturing must be discharged based on methods and locations set by regulations (Article 19).
Urban Planning Law (Law on Urban Plans / Planning of the City) (No. 03/99, 03/04/1999)
The Urban Planning Law sets principles and measures related to urban management, land use, construction, and building at national and local levels. In the solid waste context, it is relevant due to the planning controls and land-use decisions that influence the siting and development of waste infrastructure (e.g., transfer stations, disposal sites) and the management of public spaces where waste services are delivered.
Law on Hygiene, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2001; amended/revised 2011)
This law establishes principles and responsibilities for hygiene and public health protection, including hygiene requirements across settings such as buildings, hotels and guesthouses, schools, and health facilities. It provides a public-health legal basis that is relevant to waste management practices in public spaces and suggests where improper waste handling may create disease and sanitation risks.
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).
These decrees define the organizational structure and operational roles of UDAAs, which are key local authorities responsible for municipal service delivery in many provinces. They are frequently referenced in sector reports as an institutional foundation for urban service management, including municipal waste services, and they clarify administrative standing and operational responsibilities of UDAAs within provincial/city governance structures.
Decree on Disposal Site Management (No. 520/TCPC, 23/02/2007)
This Decree regulates key requirements for site selection, design, and operation of disposal sites, including landfills. Reported provisions include minimum buffer distance requirements (e.g., at least 300 meters from residential clusters) and technical requirements such as leachate management and gas emission management, as well as the need for an EIA and standards to protect groundwater and reduce environmental impacts during landfill operation and closure.
Decree on Environmental Impact Assessment (No. 112/PM, 16/02/2010)
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Decree regulates EIA requirements and procedures for projects and activities that may create impacts. It sets out the overall EIA governance framework (objectives, responsibilities, and processes) that is relevant to waste infrastructure and waste management investments, including facilities such as landfills and treatment systems that may require environmental assessment and approval.
Decree for National Environmental Standards (No. 81/GOV, 21/02/2017)
This Decree establishes national environmental quality standards and related parameters/thresholds for pollutants in key environmental media (air, water, and land/soil). These standards provide an important technical reference for pollution prevention and control and are commonly used to guide environmental compliance and monitoring across sectors.
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).
Decree on Waste Management for Healthcare Facilities (No. 1706/MOH, 02/07/2004)
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).
Ministerial Decision on Pollution Control (No. 1687/MoNRE, 07/04/2021)
This Ministerial Decision provides an administrative basis for pollution control measures, including restrictions relevant to waste streams that pose pollution risks. For example, it is used as a legal reference for prohibiting the import of toxic and dangerous wastes into Lao PDR, including waste associated with chemicals and radioactive materials, electronic waste, and old batteries, with reference to wastes listed under the Basel Convention framework.
Ministerial Instruction on Hazardous Waste Management (No. 0744/MoNRE, 11/02/2015)
This Instruction provides a national framework to classify hazardous waste and regulate its management across the full chain, including import, export, transit/transfer, storage, use, recycling, treatment, and disposal. It also sets out obligations for government agencies and hazardous waste generators and reinforces prohibitions such as releasing hazardous waste to the environment and open burning. The Instruction explicitly links hazardous waste controls to the Basel Convention mechanisms and roles (including permitting and notification procedures).
In addition to these legal frameworks, Lao PDR has also published complementary policy frameworks in the forms of guidelines, such as the following:
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.
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 5 March 2026.
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 listed below, categorized based on the legal hierarchy and sorted in a chronological order.
Law on Industrial Processing No. 10/PO 1999
Wastes from manufacturing must be discharged based on methods and locations set by regulations (Article 19).
Urban Planning Law (Law on Urban Plans / Planning of the City) (No. 03/99, 03/04/1999)
The Urban Planning Law sets principles and measures related to urban management, land use, construction, and building at national and local levels. In the solid waste context, it is relevant due to the planning controls and land-use decisions that influence the siting and development of waste infrastructure (e.g., transfer stations, disposal sites) and the management of public spaces where waste services are delivered.
Law on Hygiene, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2001; amended/revised 2011)
This law establishes principles and responsibilities for hygiene and public health protection, including hygiene requirements across settings such as buildings, hotels and guesthouses, schools, and health facilities. It provides a public-health legal basis that is relevant to waste management practices in public spaces and suggests where improper waste handling may create disease and sanitation risks.
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).
These decrees define the organizational structure and operational roles of UDAAs, which are key local authorities responsible for municipal service delivery in many provinces. They are frequently referenced in sector reports as an institutional foundation for urban service management, including municipal waste services, and they clarify administrative standing and operational responsibilities of UDAAs within provincial/city governance structures.
Decree on Disposal Site Management (No. 520/TCPC, 23/02/2007)
This Decree regulates key requirements for site selection, design, and operation of disposal sites, including landfills. Reported provisions include minimum buffer distance requirements (e.g., at least 300 meters from residential clusters) and technical requirements such as leachate management and gas emission management, as well as the need for an EIA and standards to protect groundwater and reduce environmental impacts during landfill operation and closure.
Decree on Environmental Impact Assessment (No. 112/PM, 16/02/2010)
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Decree regulates EIA requirements and procedures for projects and activities that may create impacts. It sets out the overall EIA governance framework (objectives, responsibilities, and processes) that is relevant to waste infrastructure and waste management investments, including facilities such as landfills and treatment systems that may require environmental assessment and approval.
Decree for National Environmental Standards (No. 81/GOV, 21/02/2017)
This Decree establishes national environmental quality standards and related parameters/thresholds for pollutants in key environmental media (air, water, and land/soil). These standards provide an important technical reference for pollution prevention and control and are commonly used to guide environmental compliance and monitoring across sectors.
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).
Decree on Waste Management for Healthcare Facilities (No. 1706/MOH, 02/07/2004)
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).
Ministerial Decision on Pollution Control (No. 1687/MoNRE, 07/04/2021)
This Ministerial Decision provides an administrative basis for pollution control measures, including restrictions relevant to waste streams that pose pollution risks. For example, it is used as a legal reference for prohibiting the import of toxic and dangerous wastes into Lao PDR, including waste associated with chemicals and radioactive materials, electronic waste, and old batteries, with reference to wastes listed under the Basel Convention framework.
Ministerial Instruction on Hazardous Waste Management (No. 0744/MoNRE, 11/02/2015)
This Instruction provides a national framework to classify hazardous waste and regulate its management across the full chain, including import, export, transit/transfer, storage, use, recycling, treatment, and disposal. It also sets out obligations for government agencies and hazardous waste generators and reinforces prohibitions such as releasing hazardous waste to the environment and open burning. The Instruction explicitly links hazardous waste controls to the Basel Convention mechanisms and roles (including permitting and notification procedures).
In addition to these legal frameworks, Lao PDR has also published complementary policy frameworks in the forms of guidelines, such as the following:
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.
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 5 March 2026.
