Join hands to collect trash at beaches in Ho Chi Minh City

For many years, the beaches of Ho Chi Minh City: Truoc, Sau, Dua, Dau have always had to endure waves of ocean waste overflowing into them along with garbage thrown away by people's lack of awareness, causing loss of aesthetics and seriously affecting tourism and beach bathing activities of people and tourists.

Forces participating in garbage collection at beaches in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: VNA

However, in recent years, the timely response of local authorities, especially the voluntary garbage collection activities of organizations, individuals and clubs, has helped to make beaches clean and beautiful again; at the same time, awareness of protecting the marine environment is becoming a positive movement.

According to the Department of Science and Technology of Ho Chi Minh City, every year, the above beaches often receive 2-3 waves of garbage drifting in, the most from late May to mid-July when the weather changes from the Southwest monsoon and from late August to late October when the weather changes from the Southwest monsoon to the Northeast combined with high tides. The main common characteristics are mainly plant waste including: mostly water hyacinth, some water coconuts and trees, tree stumps from tropical forests. In addition, there is some plastic waste, Styrofoam boxes, bottles of all kinds, fishing gear and household waste.

The City Department of Science and Technology said that, through research by the Branch of the University of Water Resources in Ho Chi Minh City, most of the garbage drifting to the beaches from May to July comes from the Dong Nai - Saigon and Vam Co river systems; from August to October, most of it comes from the Tien and Hau rivers and a small amount from the Dong Nai - Saigon and Vam Co rivers, Can Gio mangrove forests, and mangrove forests along the coast of the Mekong Delta. There are periods that last for weeks.

Phan Xuan Huan, General Director of Vung Tau Urban Construction and Environmental Services Joint Stock Company, stated that in 2025, the amount of ocean waste flowing into the above beaches will increase dramatically in both quantity and frequency. During peak periods, the company collects and processes an average of 20-30 tons of various types of ocean waste each day. In addition, alternating with 2 large-scale drifts of garbage into the beach areas, this year there have been 2 weather changes that have brought garbage to the Back Beach area, each lasting about 3-5 days, then the weather changes again and brings garbage back to the Front Beach, Pineapple Beach and Dau Beach areas.

According to Mr. Phan Xuan Huan, in previous years, whenever garbage overflowed onto the beaches, the company had to mobilize all its workers, mechanical equipment such as bulldozers, cranes, specialized compactors, dump trucks, etc. to continuously clean up the garbage. However, in recent years, this activity has always had the participation and voluntary support of many organizations and units. Therefore, garbage collection is very quick. In addition, every weekend there are associations, groups, and clubs with dozens to hundreds of people registering to collect garbage at the beaches. Even beachgoers and tourists, when seeing garbage, also pick it up and put it in the trash bins placed at the beach.

For the past four years, Russel Boxletix (Latvian, fitness trainer) has been regularly riding his motorbike about 100km on weekends to Ho Chi Minh City's beach to collect trash. Photo: Doan Manh Duong/VNA

Typically, the Blue Sea Club organizes garbage collection every Sunday morning with the participation of many members from all over; including foreign members. Mr. Russel Boxletix (Latvian nationality, fitness trainer, currently living in Tan My ward, Ho Chi Minh City; a volunteer of the Club) said that he has known about this program for 4 years. Every weekend, he rides his motorbike down to participate in picking up garbage. Garbage collection is very important to keep the beach clean and beautiful.

Chairman of the Blue Sea Club, Ta Van Truong, said that the club’s establishment has received enthusiastic response and participation from volunteers; after that, more and more agencies, units, communities and tourists have joined hands to protect the sea. The goal of this activity is to keep the beaches clean and beautiful; at the same time, spread awareness of environmental protection to each citizen and community.

Collecting garbage at Truoc beach (Ho Chi Minh City). Photo: Doan Manh Duong/VNA

Similarly, Long Son Petrochemical Company Limited has had more than 10 community activities in the island commune of Long Son (Ho Chi Minh City) in the past 2 years such as: free medical examination and treatment for people, giving recycling bins, cleaning up trash, planting trees, etc. Especially last weekend, the unit mobilized staff, workers and associated businesses to participate in collecting trash at Back Beach.

According to the Party Secretary of Vung Tau Ward Nguyen Tan Ban, all four famous beaches over the years (including Front Beach, Back Beach, Pineapple Beach, and Dau Beach) are located in the ward. The locality has always been conscious of keeping the beaches clean and beautiful. The active participation of agencies, units, businesses, clubs, and individuals in many forms in the past time is a beautiful solution to the problem of garbage disposal at the beaches; in the long term, it is to increase awareness of protecting the marine environment in the community, helping the marine tourism industry of Ho Chi Minh City to develop sustainably in the future.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/chung-tay-thu-gom-rac-tai-cac-bai-tam-cua-tp-ho-chi-minh-20250926092139398.htm