Vinh Phuc joins hands to push back plastic waste

Waste classification and treatment at the domestic waste treatment plant in Dao Duc town, Binh Xuyen district.

Plastic waste is items made from plastic and no longer usable. In daily life, we can easily encounter them from plastic bags; plastic bottles; plastic straws; foam boxes to toothbrushes, combs, children's toys...

According to a United Nations report, each year the amount of plastic waste humans produce is enough to cover the Earth's surface four times, of which about 13 million tons of plastic waste is dumped into the ocean.

In Vietnam, people use more than 30 billion plastic bags every year, an average of 4 bags per family per day. It is predicted that the amount of waste in Vietnam will double in less than 15 years.

Realizing the importance of preventing plastic waste, on World Environment Day 2025 (June 5), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) launched the theme "Beat Plastic Pollution".

This is the second time in three years (2023-2025) that this theme has been chosen, clearly demonstrating the global priority in controlling plastic pollution, calling on the global community to take drastic action to address plastic waste, one of the most urgent environmental challenges today.

At the same time, we reaffirm our commitment to using resources efficiently, protecting biodiversity, enhancing adaptability, promoting innovation and strengthening regional and global cooperation towards a circular economy and sustainable development.

Like many localities across the country, plastic waste is a problem that makes it difficult for Vinh Phuc provincial authorities to find a thorough, long-term and sustainable solution.

According to estimates, currently, the amount of domestic waste in the province is about more than 1,000 tons/day, of which the amount of plastic waste accounts for a large proportion. However, treatment and recycling are still limited when up to 90% of plastic waste is treated by landfill and incineration and only the remaining 10% is recycled.

In recent years, to improve the effectiveness of solving the problem of plastic waste, the province has focused on directing departments, branches and localities to promote propaganda and dissemination to civil servants, public employees, and workers in agencies, units, socio-political organizations, communities and businesses about the harmful effects of plastic waste to limit its use and discharge into the environment.

Encourage and guide people to use environmentally friendly alternative products and reduce the use of single-use plastic products and non-biodegradable nylon bags in each household, in residential areas, markets, supermarkets, schools, etc.

Bringing the movement to prevent plastic waste and nylon bags into the activities of grassroots party organizations, meetings in residential areas, political organizations... therefore, more and more models and good, effective ways to reduce plastic waste are appearing.

These include the model of a traditional market to reduce plastic waste in Vinh Tuong town; a model of preventing plastic waste in high schools in Binh Xuyen district; a model of classifying solid waste at source in Vinh Tuong and Yen Lac districts; a model of "Women say no to plastic bags and plastic waste" in Hop Hoa town, Tam Duong district, etc.

Along with that, integrate the launching of the theme on the harmful effects of plastic waste, nylon bags, limiting the use of plastic products, nylon bags that are difficult to decompose; collecting plastic waste, nylon bags that are difficult to decompose into propaganda campaigns to celebrate environmental events such as World Environment Day June 5, Campaign to make the world cleaner, International Day for Biological Diversity May 22, National Week of Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation...

Mobilize shopping centers, supermarkets, shops, traditional markets, tourist accommodation establishments, restaurants, cafes, tourist areas, tourist attractions and production, business and service establishments... in the area to commit to reducing plastic waste, limiting the use of disposable plastic products or replacing them with environmentally friendly products, not providing free plastic bags to customers or switching from using hard-to-decompose plastic bags to other types of environmentally friendly bags.

Strengthen inspection, promptly detect and handle acts of collecting and disposing of household waste in violation of regulations; organize campaigns to clear up piles of garbage and spontaneous landfills in unauthorized locations; resolutely handle littering and dumping of waste in unauthorized locations...

Although there are still many difficulties and limitations, however, with many drastic solutions, the prevention and treatment of plastic waste in the province in recent times has had many positive changes, especially the awareness of limiting the use of disposable plastic products among people has been increasingly raised.

Article and photos: Nguyen Khanh

Source: http://baovinhphuc.com.vn/Multimedia/Images/Id/128940/Vinh-Phuc-chung-tay-day-lui-rac-thai-nhua