Say no to single-use plastic products, why is it difficult?

Habits... hard to break

Nowadays, the use of plastic bags and disposable plastic products is quite common in daily life. Walking around Bac Ly market (Dong Hoi city), it is not difficult to see the image of mothers and sisters carrying large and small bags of all kinds of vegetables, meat, fresh goods, etc. At a fresh food stall, many women want the seller to wrap 2-3 plastic bags for a bunch of pre-processed fish. The seller also considers this obvious and always prepares many plastic bags for customers in need.

“Using plastic bags is very convenient, so most people use this type of bag when going to the market. Many people also want each type of vegetable, root, and fruit to have a separate bag. Some people even ask for a few extra bags to hold things when hanging on their motorbikes,” said Ms. TTP, a vendor at Bac Ly market.

Using plastic bags is becoming a habit of most people because of its convenience. “I often stop by the market to buy food after work at noon, so I often cannot bring a bag or basket. Although I know that plastic bags can pollute the environment, because of their convenience, I still use this type of bag every day,” said Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai, Bac Ly ward.

For over 6 years now, Tokyolife Dong Hoi store has been using cloth bags instead of plastic bags.

Because of the low price and convenience in use, most restaurants and eateries use disposable products, such as: Styrofoam boxes, plastic bags, plastic cups, plastic straws... Many people when buying food for their family almost do not bring anything, all food from noodles, pho, porridge, drinks... will be put in Styrofoam boxes, plastic cups or plastic bags to take home.

Ms. TT Nhung, owner of a beverage shop on Le Quy Don Street, Dong My Ward (Dong Hoi City) said: “Previously, most customers came to drink at the shop so they rarely used plastic cups. Since the home delivery service was launched, the number of customers ordering delivery has increased a lot. Every day, I use hundreds of plastic cups to hold water to ship to customers.”

Need to change consumer habits

For more than 11 years, Tree Hugger café (Nguyen Du street, Dong Hoi city) has been persistent in spreading the message of "green living" and protecting the environment. Since its establishment, Tree Hugger café has always said no to plastic and disposable plastic products. All food and drinks at the shop are served in glass and ceramic cups. Plastic straws are replaced with rice straws, wooden spoons, wooden forks... In particular, take-away products are all served in paper boxes, paper cups and paper bags.

With the goal of joining hands to change consumer habits and contribute to environmental protection, for many years, Tokyolife Dong Hoi store has implemented the program "No use of plastic bags".

Ms. Bui Thi Hai Yen, store representative, said that initially when the store implemented the policy of not using plastic bags and charging for using cloth bags, many customers were upset and reacted harshly. However, after many times of persuasion, along with promoting propaganda on the store's loudspeaker system, many customers understood and sympathized, joining hands to protect the environment. Up to now, it has become a habit, customers who come to shop at the store no longer ask for plastic bags after paying.

According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme, the world produces about 430 million tons of plastic each year, of which more than two-thirds are single-use products that quickly become waste, polluting the ocean and seriously affecting the ecosystem and human health. In Vietnam, an estimated 1.8 million tons of plastic waste is generated each year, but only about 27% is recycled, the majority of the rest is buried or burned, wasting resources and posing many potential environmental risks.

In recent times, the movement to limit plastic bags and single-use plastic products has spread widely in the community with many effective ways. Movements and models on environmental protection and plastic waste prevention have been actively implemented by associations and organizations in the area, such as: "Say no to plastic bags and plastic waste", "Collect, classify and treat waste", "Collect pesticide packaging", "Markets reduce plastic bags"... Propaganda activities continue to be directed and implemented by all levels, sectors and localities, thereby contributing to raising awareness of people and businesses about plastic waste prevention and control.

According to Head of the Department of Environmental Management, Department of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Tu Duc, the Provincial People's Committee has directed departments, branches and localities to step up propaganda work to change habits, gradually limit and eventually eliminate the habit of using hard-to-decompose plastic bags and disposable plastic products of establishments, businesses and people in the area; complete and synchronously issue regulations, mechanisms and preferential policies to promote enterprises to produce environmentally friendly products, replacing disposable plastic products and hard-to-decompose plastic bags; support effective waste classification-collection-recycling, especially plastic waste, towards a circular economic model.

In addition, the province encourages businesses to invest in research, transfer, and application of modern, high-efficiency recycling technology that saves resources, minimizes environmental risks, and creates added value from waste; synchronously develops technical infrastructure systems and waste collection, classification, and recycling services suitable to the characteristics of each locality, ensuring a closed-loop treatment chain connection, contributing to the formation of a sustainable waste recycling market...

Lan Chi

Source: https://baoquangbinh.vn/xa-hoi/202506/noi-khong-voi-san-pham-nhua-dung-mot-lan-vi-sao-kho-2226819/