Join hands to prevent and combat plastic waste |=> Posted in Bac Giang newspaper

(BGO) – Environmental pollution from plastic waste is a burning problem. Over the past time, all levels and sectors in Bac Giang province have paid attention to implementing many solutions, gradually contributing to changing people's awareness and consciousness, joining hands to prevent plastic waste. 

Convenient but not beneficial

Plastic is a useful material, appearing a lot in daily life, contributing to improving and changing many areas of life. However, this is also a material with many potential risks and consequences for the environment and human health when not used and handled properly. Science has proven that, depending on the type of plastic object (such as plastic bottles, straws, plastic bags ...) to decompose, it takes at least 50-100 years, even 500-1.000 years to decompose. decomposable.

Women's members of Dong Vuong commune (Yen The) learn methods to limit plastic waste from the family. Photo: Ngoc Anh.

According to scientists, some persistent organic pollutants in plastic enter the human body through food, through contact will cause the risk of dangerous diseases such as cancer, hepatitis, allergies. reactions, nervous system disorders, infertility... Microplastics can penetrate and destroy cells in the body of organisms in freshwater and marine environments. They can be an intermediary for the accumulation of dangerous chemicals, when ingested by animals, they will be poisoned, this poison will be transferred to humans when eating those animals. Plastic waste also has a negative impact on marine ecology, causing climate change...

In recent years, in Bac Giang, the process of rapid industrialization and urbanization has promoted socio-economic development, but at the same time, the province also faces many environmental challenges due to the amount of waste generated. (including plastic waste) more and more, while the waste treatment infrastructure has not kept up; People's awareness and awareness about plastic waste is still limited. The abuse of daily plastic waste is common: Plastic waste is thrown into domestic trash cans, followed by garbage trucks to landfills or incinerators; littering in public places… On average, the province has more than 930 tons of waste generated every day, including plastic waste. Currently, plastic waste treatment in the area is still carried out in the form of burning and burying, which poses a high risk of causing environmental pollution.

Many practical activities

Mr. Vu Van Tuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) informed: “Bac Giang identifies environmental protection as an important issue to ensure the sustainable development of the province. The province's viewpoint and development motto is not to trade environment for economy. Accordingly, the content of environmental protection has been attached to the guidelines and policies on socio-economic development in the area. The prevention of environmental incidents has been focused and changed from being passively resolved and remedied to proactively preventing, controlling and preventing pollution…”.

A bag made from plastic waste collected by a Tokyolife store employee.

With the above view, over the past time, the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee have issued many documents, regulations and support on the collection and treatment of waste in general and the reduction of plastic waste in particular. There have been many positive changes in the collection and treatment of waste. Many points of residual waste are removed. The rate of waste collected in the whole province is 94,4%, equivalent to 880,97 tons/day; the rate of collection and treatment reached 93,1%. The project on propagating, mobilizing and guiding women's members to collect, classify and dispose of domestic waste has been widely deployed by women's unions at all levels in the province, contributing to changing perceptions, awareness of a part of people, business households and enterprises.

To limit the amount of plastic bags released into the environment, some supermarkets such as Coopmart, Go! Bac Giang has put into use self-destructing plastic bags. Two stores of Tokyolife system in Bac Giang city restrict the use of plastic bags in sales. 

Ms. Cao Thi Kieu Trinh, sales manager at Tokyolife store, 178 Hoang Van Thu Street (Bac Giang City) said: "To contribute to reducing the harm from plastic waste, for more than 3 years now, at the door systems. Tokyolife's products nationwide do not use plastic bags for customers. Customers coming to Tokyolife must provide their own containers when making purchases or pay to buy cloth bags. Along with this activity, Tokyolife also implements a program to collect plastic bottles, plastic bags for gift exchange (collect both clean and damaged bottles and bags). The collected plastic bags are transferred to the disabled to make reusable plastic bags”.

Notably, a number of individuals and food businesses have been interested in using environmentally friendly products to replace plastic bags, such as the "6 eel" shop on Nguyen Van Man Street, Tran Ward. Phu (Bac Giang City). 

Mr. Pham Cong Dat, the shop owner: “Every day, the shop sells several hundred servings. Realizing that the use of plastic containers to store food is not safe for health, causing environmental pollution, for more than 2 months now, we have switched to using paper boxes. The price of each takeaway therefore increased to 5.000 VND, but fortunately most of the customers are happy and satisfied with this change.” 

Many units and localities in the province implement the model of using lanes to go to the market, using natural products such as leaves, bamboo lanes, etc. to store food instead of plastic bags; Recycle plastic waste collection.

With the determination to minimize and minimize the harm from plastic waste, this year's World Environment Day (June 5, 6), MONRE chose the theme "Solutions to plastic pollution", in which focus on implementing the campaign "Fighting plastic pollution". The purpose is to convey the message and build a sustainable lifestyle, in harmony with nature; rational use of natural resources, biodiversity and adaptation to climate change.

In Bac Giang, on June 5, in the area of ​​Nghia Hoa commune (Lang Giang), the Department of Natural Resources and Environment in collaboration with the District People's Committee held a ceremony to award the 6 Provincial Environmental Prize to organizations and individuals with excellent achievements. in this work; at the same time, held a launching ceremony to respond to World Environment Day and Action Month for the Environment 2023.

Tuan Duong

Contributing to a greener environment

(BGO) – Wishing to contribute a small part of effort to make the environment greener, clean and beautiful, many individuals from all over the countryside in the province have actively participated in keeping the village roads and alleys clean by many means. practical and effective work. Recognizing those contributions, many individuals have been awarded the Environment Award in 2023 by the Chairman of Bac Giang Provincial People's Committee.

 

Ensure environmental hygiene in tourist areas and attractions

(BGO) – The People's Committee of Bac Giang province has just sent a written request to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Transportation facilities; People's Committees of districts and cities strengthen guidance and ensure environmental hygiene in tourist areas and attractions in order to build a beautiful and impressive image of Bac Giang tourism for tourists.

 

Women participate in environmental sanitation: Many new ways to do it

(BGO) – After more than two years of implementation, the Women's Unions at all levels have many new models and ways of doing things in the implementation of the Project on propagating, mobilizing, and guiding women's members to collect, classify and dump domestic waste in accordance with regulations in the province in the period of 2021-2025.