The capital city of Hanoi is stepping up a drive to phase out the use of nylon bag as it is harming both environment and human health.

From now until the end of this year, Hanoi will launch campaigns in elementary schools of Nam Thanh Cong, Hoang Dieu and Dich Vong A, and Universities of Foreign Trade, National Economics and Transport, where students will be urged to use environmentally-friendly bags to replace nylon bags.

Between September 10 and November 14, banners and slogans will be hung up in streets and posters posted in densely-populated areas to educate people on the harmful effects of nylon bags while as many as 10,000 fabric bags will be handed out for free at schools across the city.

The municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment will also enlist the help of the media in these efforts.

At the same time, the municipal chapter of the Vietnam Women’s Union will collect waste papers in exchange for paper bags in residential areas.

The Hapro supermarket chain has also implemented a pilot programme on reducing the use of nylon bags with positive response from customers.

According to environment experts, it takes up to 500-1,000 years for a nylon bag to decompose naturally.

Foodstuff put in a nylon bag could be contaminated with poisonous substances in nylon such as lead, which is proved to damage brain and cause lung cancer and birth defects.

Source: VNA