Joining hands to reduce plastic waste: A journey to change community awareness and habits

Plastic waste (RTN) is one of the major challenges for the living environment from urban to rural areas. From water bottles, nylon bags to disposable plastic products, all create a long-term burden on the ecosystem. Realizing that, Tay Ninh province has strongly implemented the Project to Promote propaganda on prevention and control of RTN in the period of 2021-2025, according to Decision No. 175/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister. This is not only an effort to protect the environment but also a long journey to change awareness, form green - clean - beautiful habits in the community, towards a civilized and sustainable Tay Ninh.

Many forms of propaganda and dissemination

According to Mr. Huynh Cao Chanh - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, implementing Project No. 175/QD-TTg, the Provincial People's Committee has issued many specific implementation plans, and launched the emulation movement "All people join hands to protect the environment, say no to plastic waste". Every year, agencies, units and localities organize propaganda activities associated with the annual environmental theme, creating a deep and wide spread throughout society.

Women implement the model of exchanging plastic waste for necessities

From 2021 to now, agencies and units in the province have organized hundreds of training courses, conferences, and legal knowledge training on the environment. More than 2,200 cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers have been informed and raised awareness about the harmful effects of plastic waste. Propaganda activities are also integrated into important events such as World Environment Day (June 5), the "Make the World Cleaner" Campaign, training sessions on waste classification at source or community meetings at the grassroots level.

Propaganda work is deployed in a diverse manner, flexibly combining many forms: mass media, group activities, visual agitation, social networks, etc. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinates with the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Committee to orient press and media agencies in regular meetings and issue specialized guidance documents. Content on preventing and combating plastic waste is regularly integrated, reminding people of the responsibility of each individual in protecting the living environment.

During the 2021-2025 period, the grassroots radio system broadcast more than 7,000 news, articles, and columns on plastic waste prevention and control, bringing the message "Say no to nylon bags and single-use plastic bottles" to every hamlet and neighborhood. Tay Ninh Newspaper, Radio, and Television also continuously produced reports, discussions, and news bulletins to widely disseminate information to the people.

Not only propaganda on the media, direct activities of experiential education are also focused. The Department of Education and Training coordinates with the Department of Agriculture and Environment to organize competitions, recycling festivals, the program of exchanging plastic waste for green trees and gifts; and the extracurricular activity I love green environment. In the past 4 years, the whole province has had 4,722 communication activities organized, attracting more than 500,000 students to participate each year.

In parallel, more than 6,200 sessions on integrating environmental protection education content were implemented in regular classes. Many schools also organized projects and topics on "Anti-plastics" to help students combine learning with practice, enhancing their sense of responsibility to the community.

Nguyen Van Tuan, a student at Nguyen Trung Truc High School - Ben Luc, shared: "Since participating in the school's propaganda sessions and extracurricular activities, I have a better understanding of the harmful effects of plastic on the environment. Now I always carry my own water bottle and encourage my friends and family to limit the use of disposable plastic products." The positive changes in schools are signs that the propaganda work is going in the right direction, starting from the younger generation, gradually spreading to each family and community.

Forming green - clean - beautiful habits in the community

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the work of preventing and combating plastic waste does not stop at raising awareness but also aims at changing behavior and forming green living habits. Many localities in the province have implemented the model of Residential Areas Saying No to Plastic Waste, Women's Self-Managed Environmental Protection Groups, Green Union Members with the Green Planet. These movements are small but have a strong influence in each neighborhood, hamlet, and residential group.

Enterprises, production and trading establishments are propagated and trained on management, collection, classification and recycling of waste. Thereby, enterprises realize that reducing waste is a responsibility to society, an opportunity to enhance reputation and brand image. Many units have proactively changed production processes, used environmentally friendly packaging, and at the same time encouraged employees to classify waste at work.

Long Cang Commune Women's Union collects scrap to raise funds to support poor and disadvantaged students to go to school.

At the household level, the most obvious change is the change in daily living habits. While previously, nylon bags and disposable plastic bottles were widely used, now many people carry cloth bags and glass bottles and sort waste at source.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan (residing in Khanh Hau ward) shared: “In the past, I often used nylon bags to go to the market. Since hearing the propaganda, I switched to using cloth bags, which are both durable and clean. At home, I also teach my children how to classify plastic and organic waste, and it has gradually become a habit.”

Mr. Le Van Huy (residing in Ben Luc commune) said: "Listening to the commune's propaganda sessions, I understand more about the harmful effects of plastic on the environment. Now every time I go out, I bring my own water bottle, limit buying plastic bottles, both saving money and protecting my health."

Many residential groups, hamlets, Women's Unions, and Youth Unions also organize regular general cleaning and recycling campaigns, raise funds for environmental protection, and give trees to households that actively participate. The models of exchanging trash for gifts, Green Sunday, etc. have become familiar activities, creating a vibrant competitive atmosphere among residential areas. Each small action of each person has contributed to creating great strength in the work of cleaning village roads and alleys, and building a civilized lifestyle.

Up to now, the Project to Promote propaganda on waste prevention and control in the period of 2021-2025 in Tay Ninh has achieved many results. Thousands of people, students, and businesses have changed their behavior; many environmental protection models have been maintained regularly; waste collection and classification at source have gradually changed positively.

More importantly, through each activity, people understand that environmental protection is not a slogan but a practical action associated with daily life. The numbers of propaganda, training sessions, and number of participants are just the tip of the iceberg. What is more important is the change in the thinking and behavior of the community, when people are self-conscious, state agencies are persistent, businesses accompany, schools are pioneers, all share the same goal for a green environment.

The project also contributes to creating positive changes not only in the environment but also in building a civilized urban lifestyle and a new model rural area. People understand and practice, the living environment will become increasingly cleaner, the landscape will be brighter - greener - cleaner - more beautiful and the living value of each person will be enhanced./.

Tay Ninh is gradually affirming its determination to build a sustainable locality. The journey to reduce plastic waste is still long, but with the consensus of the whole society, we believe that the environment will become increasingly cleaner and more beautiful."

Le Duc

Source: https://baolongan.vn/joining-the-mission-to-reduce-plastic-waste-recycling-the-process-of-changing-consciousness-and-habits-of-the-community-a204592.html