Inspect and monitor the Plastic Waste Reduction Project in Con Dao

Attending the event were Ms. Pham Thu Hang, Deputy Director of Vietnam Sea and Islands Administration, Mr. Dang Son Hai, Deputy Director of Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, Mr. Huynh Trung Son, Vice Chairman of Con Dao district, along with representatives of WWF Vietnam and departments and branches of the district.

Ms. Pham Thu Hang, Deputy Director of the Department of Sea and Islands, spoke.

The project “Reducing Ocean Plastic Waste in Vietnam” (hereinafter referred to as the 'Project') is funded by the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety through the World Wildlife Fund (WWF-Vietnam) and received by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (assigning the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands as the project management agency on the Vietnamese side), WWF-Vietnam cooperates with the People's Committee of Con Dao district to implement activities to strengthen the management of domestic solid waste in general and limit the loss of plastic waste in particular in the district, towards the goal of "Con Dao - Plastic Reduction Destination".

Reporting on plastic waste management activities in the area, Mr. Huynh Trung Son said that before implementing the project, the total estimated volume of domestic solid waste generated in Con Dao in 2020 was about 4,000 tons, of which 634 tons were plastic waste (RTN), accounting for 15.86% (WWF-Vietnam, 2021). Accordingly, on average, each person in Con Dao emitted nearly 65kg of RTN per year.

The main sources of RTN in order from highest to lowest are: (1) Households (42.7%), (2) Hotels (33.3%), (3) Restaurants (8.2%), (4) Traditional markets (6.4%), (5) Public places (6.4%), (6) Fishing ports (2.1%), (7) Agencies (0.8%).

The RTN collection rate of Con Dao is 98%, of which 92% is collected by the public service system, and 6% is collected through scrap purchasing and collecting units/individuals.

The amount of waste collected for recycling in Con Dao is about 52.2 tons/year, equivalent to about 8.2% of the amount of waste generated, mainly thanks to the operation of the informal collection system, including the amount of waste collected from centralized storage sites.

Mr. Huynh Trung Son, Vice Chairman of Con Dao District People's Committee spoke

On March 26, 2022, the People's Committee of Con Dao district and the Project signed a commitment to join the Plastic-reducing Cities network, together aiming for the goal of no more plastic waste in nature, making Con Dao the 9th locality to participate in the Plastic-reducing Cities program.

With the support of the Project, the People's Committee of Con Dao district has agreed to develop a plan until 2025 and implement important activities towards the common goal of minimizing the impact of plastic waste on marine ecosystems in Con Dao.

During the years 2021 - 2023, the District People's Committee issued many directive and management documents as an important legal basis for the collection, classification, recycling, treatment and reduction of plastic waste at source in Con Dao district; Organize communication and education activities on waste classification and reduction of plastic waste. The District People's Committee has directed relevant agencies/departments and organizations to develop and simultaneously implement many programs and activities on communication and education to raise awareness with diverse and creative methods and for many different target groups.

The project also coordinated with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DONRE) of Con Dao district to organize the exhibition “Plastic Sea Tour” combined with “Garbage for Gifts Festival” at the Headquarters of the DONRE. The District People’s Committee also directed the integration of the topic of plastic pollution into educational content at all levels through document sets and training for teachers and students.

At the same time, implementing the waste classification program at source, the District People's Committee has coordinated with the Project to organize training programs on waste classification at source for people in the district, creating a stepping stone for organizing a pilot implementation of waste classification at source in the district from the end of 2022. In addition, the project also coordinated training for Con Dao residential areas to compost organic waste from kitchens; Collecting marine waste accumulated on public beaches; and removing waste and dead corals in the marine reserve of Con Dao National Park.

Overview of the working session

Speaking at the meeting, Ms. Pham Thu Hang highly appreciated the efforts of the People's Committee of Con Dao district and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ba Ria - Vung Tau to solve the problem of plastic waste; acknowledged the change in awareness and specific actions to guide people and tourists to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags. Compared to other localities in the Project, Con Dao is a district that has done well in implementing all 4 contents in the basic objectives of the Project, which are: Promoting communication, researching and promulgating policies, building pilot models to reduce plastic and manage plastic waste in marine protected areas. The district has also initially inventoried waste at the source and treated waste sources, limiting plastic bags. However, like many localities in the country, the island district does not have a waste treatment plant on the island, which is also a long-term risk of waste pollution. This also limits the results of plastic reduction actions. Therefore, in the coming time, more attention is needed from Ba Ria - Vung Tau province as well as local efforts to thoroughly handle waste sources and limit landfills.

Source: https://baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/kiem-tra-giam-sat-du-an-giam-rac-thai-nhua-tai-con-dao-362427.html