Effectively managing domestic waste
The project was multiplied in five localities, namely Quang Ninh, Da Nang, Binh Dinh, Binh Thuan and Binh Duong to encourage locals to live green.
Carried out from December 2019 to late 2022, the project reaped remarkable outcomes.
In Quang Ninh province, 35 training courses on sorting waste and plastic waste for 6,000 people, including trawlers’ owners, households, youths, teenagers, students, those buying used bottles, individual business households, and employees of some enterprises. Attentively, more than 100 cruise ships in Ha Long bay pledged not to use single-use plastic. The project also presented 30 bikes, 140 protective suits, and 100 pairs of shoes to waste collectors in Ha Long city.
Dao Manh Luong, head of Ha Long Cruise Ship Association said that "We are targeting sustainable tourism that both benefits local people and protects the environment.” Mr. Luong added that the association is committed not to using single-use plastic products in tourism service activities in Ha Long bay, contributing to improving the quality and image of Ha Long tourism. Together with waste sorting, the association hoped that restaurants and tourists will join hands to limit the sale and use of plastic bottles for a Ha Long without plastic waste.
In Da Nang city, under this project, an integrated waste management model to reduce the amount of waste generated and optimize sorting and recycling activities at source in Ngu Hanh Son and Hoa Vang districts was built. As a result, locals’ awareness of waste and plastic and waste sorting at source was raised. So far, 80% of households in Ngu Hanh Son and Hoa Vang districts have participated in sorting waste at source.
Income raised thanks to waste sorting
Apart from improving the capacity of domestic waste management, the project helped raise local’s income from waste. The project has established five lending funds with 0% interest rate for 3 years with a total capital of about VND 890 million to support members of associations of waste collectors in five participating localities.
Pham Van Dai, member of the association of waste collectors in Hong Ha ward, Ha Long city, Quang Ninh province, said that before joining the project, his income was only over 3 million per month. Since engaging in the project, the average income of of his association’s members raised to over VND 5 million per month. Together with raised income, they have also received support with a loan package with 0% interest rate.
Patrick Haverman, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Vietnam highlighted the importance of waste collectors who play an important role in the waste management system and promoting a circular economy, but are vulnerable and subject to some risks such as possibility of exposure to hazardous materials and medical waste. Therefore, UNDP has assisted in organizing more courses for them to raise their awareness.
In the framework of the project, UNDP has introduced an app “Trash Hunt” to collect report and monitor all spontaneous and illegal landfills in Vietnam, helping local authorities to deal with the issue in a timely manner.
UNDP is going to complete the second stage of the project in Vietnam entitled “Scaling-up integrated and inclusive waste management models through empowering the informal sector and fostering the circular economy.”
Translated by Chung Anh