Garbage after public events like New Year's Eve celebrations is not just a problem in Vietnam. Why?
All kinds of garbage on Ton Duc Thang street (section in front of Bach Dang Wharf, District 1) - Photo: NGUYEN KHANG
Every New Year's Eve, New Year's Eve celebrations often draw crowds to public areas. However, after those joyful moments, these areas often turn into a landfill.
Littering
The problem of littering after public events like New Year’s Eve is not unique to Vietnam. Even in developed countries like the US, littering is a common occurrence.
For example, in Times Square (New York, USA), the amount of garbage collected after the countdown and crystal ball drop event to welcome the new year 2024 was up to 50 tons.
In Ho Chi Minh City, District 1 Public Service Company Limited had to mobilize more than 10 garbage trucks to collect garbage at Bach Dang wharf and Nguyen Hue walking street after the 2025 New Year's Eve event.
Littering at public events, in addition to personal habits and awareness, is also due to crowd psychology.
When participating in crowded events, individuals are often influenced by group behavior, leading to a decline in their sense of personal responsibility in adhering to social norms and ethics.
People in the crowd think that "if others can litter, then I will too; if I litter, someone else will clean up", and consider that as a way to justify their irresponsible behavior.
Crowd psychology also explains the act of trampling on flower gardens at public events, or stealing flower pots and ornamental plants on the annual Tet flower streets.
In addition, the lack of trash cans in crowded areas and the frequent overloading of trash cans also make people choose to throw trash right on the spot.
In addition, authorities and event organizers have not focused on instructing and reminding participants not to litter to maintain public hygiene.
More importantly, the responsibilities of event organizers and surrounding shops are not clearly defined. In fact, many shops sell food and drinks but do not collect the waste generated, making the pollution situation even more serious.
"Name and shame" people who litter on public transport?
To improve the situation of people littering at public events, first of all, mobile network operators and social networks can play a big role in propaganda and reminders.
Messages can be sent simultaneously to each subscriber based on the user's phone location in the event area.
The host can also incorporate reminders to not litter and maintain public hygiene at different times during the countdown program, and use the LED screens themselves to broadcast relevant messages.
This is how movie theaters have been doing it for a long time.
In addition, more large trash bins should be placed in crowded areas. Trash bins should be placed in visible, accessible locations and have a suitable design to classify trash at the source.
Mobilizing youth volunteers to collect trash right at the event is also an effective way.
In fact, after the countdown music festival welcoming the new year 2025 at Hoan Kiem Lake walking street (Hanoi), many young people joined hands to clean up the trash.
This not only reduces the pressure on sanitation workers, but also serves as a gentle reminder to event attendees who may have accidentally littered.
Cleaning up after attending public events or before checking out of a hotel is a common practice among Japanese people and something to learn.
Another measure is to impose strict sanctions on littering.
Authorities can utilize surveillance cameras in public areas to detect and punish violators. Images of violators can be projected onto public LED screens to warn violators and educate others.
Event organizers are also required to deposit a cleaning fee with the management agency, which will only be refunded when the venue is cleaned. This measure will encourage organizers to be more proactive in controlling and handling waste.
In addition, building early awareness in the community is also very important.
Educational activities on keeping public spaces clean and protecting the environment need to be implemented more widely, not only focusing on big events such as New Year's countdown but also targeting daily life.
Encouraging people to bring reusable water bottles and personal trash bags when attending crowded events is also a practical way to significantly reduce waste.
The above solutions, if implemented synchronously and resolutely, will not only help events become cleaner and more beautiful but also contribute to building green and sustainable living habits for the community.
Garbage classification: a debt that will never be paid off?Source: https://tuoitre.vn/le-hoi-nam-moi-thanh-le-hoi-rac-thai-do-tam-ly-dam-dong-20250102165529109.htm
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