Con Dao becomes a plastic-reducing city

Con Dao is the 9th locality in Vietnam to participate in the "Plastic-Free Cities" initiative initiated by WWF with a commitment to reduce 30% of plastic waste loss by 2025. After 3 years of participating in the "Plastic-Free Cities" network, Con Dao district has achieved many positive results.

Visitors to Hang Duong cemetery follow the "green gift basket" program

Come plastic free

Located in the middle of the sea, Con Dao is seriously affected by ocean plastic waste, especially in mangrove forests, coral reefs and rocky beaches. In recent years, the rapid increase in the number of tourists has also caused a significant increase in plastic waste. According to statistics, the amount of solid waste generated daily in Con Dao is about 24-25 tons/day, the amount of waste remaining untreated is more than 100 thousand tons in the Bai Nhat area. The amount of plastic waste from tourism activities in Con Dao alone is up to 221.4 tons/year, of which plastic waste generated at accommodation establishments and tourism services accounts for 33.3%.

Ms. Nguyen Thuy Nga, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Dao District, said that reducing plastic waste pollution is one of the issues that provincial and district leaders and many environmental protection organizations are concerned about in the process of economic development and environmental protection of Con Dao District. From March 2022, WWF-Vietnam and the People's Committee of Con Dao District organized the signing of the commitment "Con Dao - Plastic-reducing destination". The campaign aims to focus on raising awareness among tourists so that each tourist is more responsible when visiting Con Dao.

Achieving the above goal requires close coordination between local authorities, agencies, organizations, businesses, communities and tourists in reducing the consumption of single-use plastics, handling the amount of waste remaining in the environment, strengthening the management of domestic solid waste (MSW) and focusing on the treatment of plastic waste.

After 3 years of implementation, many activities have been organized to promote environmental protection and reduce plastic waste in Con Dao district such as: Plastic reduction week on the whole island; exhibition "Plastic sea travel" combined with "Garbage exchange for gifts"; mobilizing local people to participate in plastic reduction; implementing plastic reduction in the Marine Protected Area by collecting garbage in ecological areas, coral reefs, and mangrove forests. As of June 1, 176 tons of plastic waste have been collected; 145 tourist establishments committed to reducing plastic; 100% of people joined in raising awareness; the models "Plastic reduction school", "Green house", "Plastic-free destination" are being replicated throughout the district.

Students of Le Hong Phong Secondary School (Con Dao district) carry out a plastic reduction program by collecting recyclable plastic waste.

Go leave love

With the message "Come without plastic, leave love", in 2022, Con Dao District People's Committee is the 9th locality in Vietnam to participate in the "Plastic-reducing city" initiative initiated by WWF. Responding to this campaign, currently in the district there are 145 accommodation establishments applying solutions to reduce plastic at the facility. Many of them apply 50% reduction in single-use plastic in tourism business activities such as replacing plastic water bottles with glass bottles; using straws, boxes, and paper bags; shampoo, shower gel in long-term use glass bottles, or lending tourists cloth bags during their stay to limit plastic bags.

The Secret Con Dao Hotel has been in operation since the end of 2020. The hotel representative said that from the beginning, the hotel has implemented activities to reduce plastic waste and protect the environment, through the use of environmentally friendly materials for toothpaste, soap, toothbrushes; minimizing plastic bags from suppliers; using paper bags to serve customers; using water using a standard RO system, bottled sterilized to completely replace disposable plastic bottled water...

In particular, the "green gift basket" program will be applied from June 1, 2024 every Saturday and will be applied widely from 2025 with the solution of neat gift baskets and trays and the trays will not use: votive offerings, plastic bags, foam for flower arrangements and single-use plastic products. Ms. Pham Thi Tam, Deputy Director of the Provincial Museum - Library, said that after 1 year of implementing the "Green Gift Basket" program, nearly 100% of people and tourists do not use votive offerings, foam for flower arrangements, plastic bags and single-use plastic products during their visits to the relic site; the air pollution index AQI at the relic sites throughout Con Dao district has changed to a very good level...

Article and photos: QUANG VU

Source: https://baobariavungtau.com.vn/kinh-te/202506/con-dao-tro-thanh-do-thi-giam-nhua-1044435/