Responding to the campaign “Clean up the World” 2020:

Single-use plastic items remain popular

BTO- Nowadays, many housewives usually get plastic bags from sellers when they buy foodstuffs at traditional markets or shops, some even take a pile of single-use bags containing many food items after shopping. As a result, plastic bags making up a large amount of total garbage generation in a single day in Phan Thiet city. Moreover, coffee shops and convenience stores also contribute to piling up the city’s plastic waste with large volumes of plastic cups, straws, and meal boxes.
In the countryside, plastic waste has become a big challenge because local authorities have not proposed any sustainable solutions. Garbage collection and treatment in rural areas have faced many difficulties due to the lack of financial sources and specialized equipment. Hence, rural residents often throw all non-biodegradable plastic products into their residential areas, roadsides, or simply bury all sorts of trash. Especially in Ham Thuan Nam and Ham Thuan Bac districts, many kinds of plastic waste are also seen in dragon fruit gardens and production facilities, among them, are food and water containers discharged by dragon fruit processing workers. Plastic waste is also thrown along both sides of national highways 1A and 28. Every day, tens of tons of trash are transported from all regions to landfills in rural districts for treatment, excepting La Gi town, where has a waste treatment complex.

Join hands in taking actions
In order to minimize plastic waste, people should change the habit of using plastic products in shopping and other daily activities, replacing single-use plastic bags with environmentally friendly plastic shopping bags. Young people are encouraged not to ask for plastic cups and straws in cafes, teahouses, or other public places.

Earlier, the provincial people’s Committee has asked departments, agencies, organizations, and authorities at all levels to intensify propaganda and mobilize officials, employees, enterprises, and local residents to engage in the “Anti-plastic waste movement”. The authorities also encourage people to use environmentally friendly products, launch programs highlighting the environmental impacts and harm of non-biodegradable plastic bags. At the same time, campaigns to collect plastic waste have been launched during the campaign “Clean up the world” 2020. The provincial government also asks departments, agencies, and local authorities to use glass cups, porcelain products in conferences, meetings, seminars… instead of single-use plastic water bottles and plastic straws.
Movements such as: “Say no to plastic waste, say yes with green consumption”, “fight against plastic waste- if you cannot recycle plastic products, you can refuse it” has been disseminated among local people to contribute to promoting “Clean up the world” campaign 2020.

Translated by Phuong Lan (Source: Binh Thuan Newspaper)