3 April 2020, HCMC, Viet Nam: All supermarkets, trade centres, convenience stories, and bookstores in Ho Chi Minh City are striving to replace plastic bags with environmentally friendly options by the end of this year.

This move is part of the city’s programme launched in mid-2019 to fight against plastic waste.

The programme also targets a 50% of reduction in plastic bag consumption among traders at traditional markets

The municipal authorities have ordered for the set-up of drop-off collection points where people can swap plastic waste and used plastic products for gifts or consumer goods.

Local residents are also encouraged to classify their garbage in a bid to reduce the harmful effects of household waste on the environment and to increase recycling capacity.

A survey conducted by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment found that the volume of plastic trash in the city is just behind that of food waste, with an estimated 250,000 tonnes of plastic waste discarded each year.

According to the City’s waste recycling fund, if the 48,000 tonnes of plastic waste which is buried in the southern metropolis each year is instead recycled, the city would save about VND 15 billion (US$660,000) annually.

More information on Nhan Dan (‘people’) newspaper