Ha Noi responds to Earth Day 2019: For the earth without waste

In Viet Nam, domestic waste management is becoming challenging with the amount of household waste doubling in the last 15 years. According to statistics in 2015, the amount of domestic waste in the world was 27.1 million tons / year and increased about 5% each year, estimated to reach 54 million tons in 2030. With the faster urbanization, each urban person releases average 1.6 kg of waste per day by 2025.

In particular, the composition of plastic waste in domestic waste is increasing and becoming a global problem. In Viet Nam, the average plastic consumption per person increased from 3.8 kg/person/year in 1990  to 41 kg/person/year in 2015. Plastic waste accounts for 13-16% of domestic waste. The amount of plastic waste is increasing, but the most of them have not been collected and disposed of properly, a large amount is discharged to rivers and gradually to the sea.

According to scientists, in the next 10 years, the amount of plastic waste to the sea will double and if we do not act, by 2050 the oceans will contain more plastic waste than fish. Earth Day on April 22 is a worldwide environmental event, calling for the participation of everybody to protect the planet.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung - Director of the Center for Natural Resources and Environment Communication informed that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and related ministries are focusing on research to make the overall solutions in terms of policies, economic tools and technology to solve in a fundamental way the problem of pollution from urban waste and rural waste, plastic waste and plastic bags.

According to Mr. Dung, one of the most important solutions is how to connect communities, mobilize everybody to participate in environmental protection. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment welcomes retailers, supermarkets and trade centers to take actions to minimize the use of non-degradable plastic bags.

Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Ly, Director of CECR emphasized that changing our habits in using disposable plastic products is an action to protect the environment. Let action today to protect our Earth.

Mr. Pham Huu Tri, Director of Coca-Cola factory in Ha Noi said: we believe that every packaging is valuable, so we should collect and recycle the past packaging.

In the framework of program to respond to Earth Day 2019 in Ha Noi,  many interactive activities was organized such as 500 people running for a world without waste around Hoan Kiem Lake; exhibition of waste reduction and recycling initiatives of 15 units including businesses, NGOs, environmental teams/volunteer groups, schools; activities of exchanging e-waste for environmentally friendly products; awareness game about plastic waste...

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, it now includes events coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network in more than 193 countries.

Hong Thanh