Brian Jeffrey
| Students engage in discussions about recycling and reusing plastic at the ‘I love the environment’ club meeting at Thuận Thành Primary School in Huế, located in the Thừa Thiên-Huế province. — VNA/VNS Photo Mai Trang |
Since 2020, WWF-Việt Nam has collaborated with local authorities across ten provinces to tackle plastic waste, with a goal to decrease plastic pollution by at least 30% and eliminate plastic waste in nature by 2030. This initiative includes pilot projects aimed at reducing plastic waste, raising public awareness, and enhancing waste management systems.
These projects have been initiated in various locations such as Phú Quốc, Rạch Giá, Thanh Khê District in Đà Nẵng, Tuy Hoà, Tân An, Huế, A Lưới District, Hà Tĩnh City, Côn Đảo District, and Đồng Hới City. The focus has been on managing household waste more effectively, especially plastic waste, along with improving waste collection and treatment processes, promoting recycling, addressing plastic pollution sites, and encouraging better consumer habits in relation to plastics.
WWF-Việt Nam has identified six particularly effective models from these initiatives that have the potential for wider implementation.
One noteworthy initiative is aimed at encouraging fishermen in Đồng Hới City to collect trash from the sea. This project has greatly decreased the volume of plastic waste entering marine environments, aiding both the protection of ocean ecosystems and supporting sustainable tourism. With strong community backing, local fishermen are involved in collecting waste for recycling, which in turn benefits community charities.
Another successful program is the “Market for sorting and composting organic waste,” currently being tested in Tuy Hoà City and Hà Tĩnh Province. It showcases an effective method for sorting and managing organic waste, leading to reduced environmental impact and beneficial shifts in public attitudes toward waste management.
In Rạch Giá City, the initiative for “Waste classification and organic waste treatment” has been highlighted as a strong alignment with the region’s solid waste management strategy. By promoting household-level management of organic waste, it has fostered the production of useful items from waste while decreasing chemical pollution and raising environmental awareness.
Additionally, Rạch Giá’s “Reusing old tarpaulins” effort has gained recognition for its social impact, transforming old tarpaulins into sellable products without needing new materials. However, this model is limited in scale and would benefit from investment to increase production and diversify offerings while ensuring cost-efficiency and public engagement.
In Thanh Khê District, Đà Nẵng, the “Green house” program has made significant strides in educating the community on the benefits of sorting and recycling plastic waste. By collaborating with diverse stakeholders, including local women’s groups, the program has effectively reduced environmental plastic waste and improved recycling rates for valuable materials.
The program “Eliminating hotspots and intervening to prevent reinfection,” launched in Vũng Rô Bay, Phú Yên Province, has focused on removing pollution hotspots. This effort has enhanced the marine environment for local aquaculture, improving both productivity and product quality, while increasing community awareness regarding environmental management.
Cleaner products from these improved farming areas are now better positioned to enter both domestic and international markets.
WWF-Việt Nam’s insights indicate these six models hold strong promise for further application. However, experts stress that achieving sustained impact will demand collaborative efforts from local governments, businesses, community members, alongside investments in infrastructure and awareness campaigns to foster widespread involvement and long-lasting success. — VNS
