Spreading "green lifestyle" to the community

(HNM) - In Ho Chi Minh City, the “green living” movement to reduce waste and use environmentally friendly materials is developing widely and becoming more and more practical. In the coming time, the city will continue to mobilize people and businesses to actively participate in the movement.

Residents of Ward 8, District 10 (Ho Chi Minh City) exchange plastic waste for gifts, responding to the "green living" movement, using environmentally friendly materials.

Many practical jobs

On Sunday morning, Ms. Vu Thanh Thuy, residing on Street 1, Thao Dien Ward, Thu Duc City, and her children brought bags of plastic products and packaging waste to the ward’s “Exchange plastic waste for gifts” point for collection and recycling. This is also a regular activity of local people.

“We received trees and environmental protection propaganda materials and the community wants to spread this spirit to the younger generation so that they are aware of environmental protection,” Ms. Thuy confided.

In just one day of responding to World Environment Day (June 5), more than 211 residents of Ward 5, Thao Dien Ward collected more than 90kg of waste paper, 1,317 bottles, cans, and plastic boxes of all kinds. The Organizing Committee gave more than 100 succulent plants, 200 cloth bags, 200 key chains, and more than 100kg of sugar to trash collectors to exchange for gifts. This is also a task regularly implemented by the authorities of Pham Van Hai Commune (Binh Chanh District).

Ms. Nguyen Thi Giau, Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Pham Van Hai Commune, said that the commune also organized a contest "Recycling for the environment" to spread the message of actively participating in recycling activities, building green spaces in families and public places, and saying no to plastic waste, contributing to environmental protection.

On a city-wide scale, the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has just coordinated with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to organize a closing ceremony and award ceremony for the 2nd Community-Based Clean - Green - Environmentally Friendly Construction Contest - 2023. Accordingly, after more than 3 months of implementation, 21 districts, towns and Thu Duc City have actively responded in many rich and diverse forms; there are 555 clean - green - environmentally friendly works of 379 units at the district, town and Thu Duc City levels.

According to Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Toan Thang, the city is maintaining 1,920 clean - green - environmentally friendly points and works. The parties will continue to coordinate to organize many environmental protection activities to mobilize social resources, encourage people and communities to participate in transforming polluted areas into community living areas, children's playgrounds, vegetable gardens, flower gardens; join hands to decorate and create green spaces, contributing to building a clean - green - environmentally friendly city.

Maintain real, lasting results

Implementing the "National Strategy on Green Growth towards Sustainable Development in Ho Chi Minh City for the period 2021-2030" issued by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, Saigon Giai Phong Newspaper and the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Trading Cooperatives (Saigon Co.op) have just organized the 14th Green Consumption Campaign, implemented in June 2023. This is an annual activity of the two units.

According to Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Saigon Giai Phong Newspaper Pham Van Truong, the campaign aims to encourage the community to prioritize using products from businesses that do a good job of protecting the environment. From there, establish new consumption habits that are beneficial to the environment. As for Saigon Co.op Deputy General Director Le Truong Son, Saigon Co.op supermarket systems arrange separate display areas for environmentally friendly products and products from businesses that do a good job of protecting the environment.

“We have long removed plastic straws and many single-use plastic products from our sales catalog. 100% of supermarkets and retail stores use biodegradable bags to carry goods for customers, contributing to raising awareness of green economy, circular economy, towards sustainable economic development in the community,” added Mr. Le Truong Son.

Mondelez Kinh Do Company Limited (Ho Chi Minh City) is one of the enterprises specializing in food. To date, more than 97% of Mondelez Kinh Do's total packaging, including plastic and other materials, is recyclable and reusable. The enterprise is accelerating to achieve 100% of the global target by 2025.

Anil Viswanathan, General Director of Mondelez Kinh Do Vietnam, said that the company is converting electricity consumption for production to renewable energy sources at manufacturing plants; replacing thermal fuels with “green” alternative fuels; implementing programs to reduce wastewater and food waste throughout the entire supply chain...

“Consumer habits also greatly influence the development of environmentally friendly packaging products of enterprises. We have found that Vietnamese consumers often prefer colorful, eye-catching packaging when using it as gifts during holidays and Tet. However, such packaging requires more ink chemicals for printing, covering with plastic film… and will be more difficult to recycle. Currently, modern consumer trends are encouraging the development of simple, easy-to-recycle packaging. Hopefully, we will soon have a common awareness of this issue,” Mr. Anil Viswanathan shared.

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