A plastic straw might look simple and convenient, but not many people know that its journey is contributing great harm to the environment, especially to oceans.
Visitors learn more about plastic pollution through exciting visuals and prize-winning activities at the "Straw-fee challenge week" display. © WWF-Vietnam / Nguyen Thi Thien Thanh
As one of the top five items most found on beaches, plastic straws contribute significantly to about 150 million tons of plastic waste in oceans. When plastic waste enters into the ocean, it is broken down into tiny bits called microplastics. These get eaten by plankton, which gets eaten by fish, and eventually the microplastics travel all the way up to us. Therefore, plastic is not only a concern for the environment but also for human health.Concerned about the impact of plastic waste and with a desire to urge the community to change to a greener lifestyle, Keppel Land, with the support of WWF-Vietnam, recently organised an event and challenge called "Straw-free challenge week" at Saigon Centre on 5-10 June, 2018.Through exciting visuals and prize-winning activities, the event attracted the attention of numerous visitors to raise awareness of the plastic pollution issue. Many supporters immediately showed their willingness to protect the environment by buying alternative products such as metal and bamboo straws to replace plastic straws.
Many restaurants at Saigon Centre encourage their customers to give up plastic straws. © WWF-Vietnam / Nguyen Thi Thien Thanh
This was also an opportunity for Keppel Land’s staff to engage in a meaningful community initiative. The staff’s love of nature and care for critical environmental issues motivated them to enthusiastically connect with visitors, respond to questions with excitement and wholeheartedly call for support.In particular, the event success was the result of joint support of approximately 40 restaurants in Saigon Centre encouraging customers to give up plastic straws. Not only did this cut down a great number of plastic waste choking the environment but also ignited an eco-friendly lifestyle without single-use plastic.With committed contributions from businesses such as Keppel Land, WWF-Vietnam believes that more and more people will be aware of their role and change their consumption behaviour towards an approach that is more environmentally responsible.
