Hanoi has recently propagated creative methods and practical models to combat plastic waste in the community, Kinh te & Do thi reported.

A representative of the Hoan Kiem district People's Committee said that traders and street shop owners in the district have pledged to combat plastic waste.

Women in Hoan Kiem district organize a program to exchange plastic waste for trees. Photo: Ha Anh

So far, many street stores and shopping malls have curbed the use of plastic bags. For example, stores at Trang Tien Plaza have replaced plastic bags with paper bags, plastic straws and cups with those made of paper.

Some 30 trash bins have been placed to collect recyclable waste in Hoan Kiem district on a trial basis, specifically in three wards of Cua Dong, Phan Chu Trinh, Ly Thai To and schools in the district. The scheme is expected to be expanded to all 18 wards of the district by the year-end.

“In July 2020, the district will launch a program on waste classification at source. Garbage will be pre-classified into recyclable and non-recyclable one,” said Pham Tuan Long, vice chairman of the Hoan Kiem district People's Committee.

In Ha Dong district, the chairwoman of the district Women's Union, Lai Ha Phuong, said that most members of her organization carry baskets with them to the market instead of going empty-handed and bringing home items wrapped in single-use plastic bags.

In order to replicate this model, the Women Union has organized many campaigns to respond to the movement against plastic waste, donating 5,000 eco-friendly bags, 580 food containers, and 22,000 glass water bottles for its members.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Youth Union in Thanh Tri district Pham Tien Dat said that the organization has promoted the collection of plastic bags and garbage among its members in 16 communes and towns. In particular, the distribution of paper bags to people at markets has been carried out regularly and has gained positive results.

Many environmental experts said that in order for the movement against plastic waste to spread wider, the Vietnamese government needs to work out policies to encourage businesses to produce environmentally-friendly packages or biodegradable products.

According to statistics, on average, Hanoi generates 4,000 – 5,000 tons of waste per day, of which plastic waste accounts for 7-8%. The municipal People's Committee has issued a plan to implement a number of solutions and encourages all shops, markets and supermarkets in urban areas not to use plastic bags by the end of 2020.