Promoting usage of alternative items

As soon as the municipal Women’s Union launched the movement “Women say no to plastic waste”, the Women’s Association in Tho Xuong ward took active response. Adding to communicating on broadcasting system and in the meetings, all levels of association also provided the members with plastic hand-basket, box and fabric bag to replace single use plastic items.

The store owner in Ngo Quyen market makes a discount to the customers who say no to nylon bag.

The association uses the expense gathered from waste collection, classification and sell to present the alternative items to nearly 500 members.

At the Women’s Division in Residential Group No 2, all 220 members were presented with plastic hand basket while 30 excellent members were supplied the set of plastic food container.

Besides, the members persuaded patients in Bac Giang Tumour Hospital who are monthly beneficial from the free porridge programme to use the ceramic and metal bowl and cassolette instead of single use plastic box and nylon bag.

Adding to present the plastic hand basket and box to members, the Women’s Association in Ngo Quyen ward communicated and called for 7 business households in Ngo Quyen market to promote from 500 – 2,000 VND for each customer who refuses to use the nylon bag.

Recently, the Association has held programme “Exchange plastic waste to gift” drawing more than 200 officers, members and locals at all age groups to exchange the waste to Red scarf, pencil, instant noodle, cooking oil and others. It contributed to enhancing the local awareness in waste collection, classification and limiting the usage of plastic waste.

Widespreading in community

All levels of municipal women’s association have accelerated the anti-plastic waste movement in a close connection with waste collection, classification and disposal at each family.

Thanks to the communication of the women’s union, I know that nylon bags and single use plastic product are harmful wastes to the living environment. So now I bring a hand basket with capped plastic boxes on every shopping. It looks tidier, cleaner and I can reuse many times Nguyen Thi Diep, Residential Group No 2, Ngo Quyen ward, Bac Giang city.

The awareness improvement is reinforced via various methods of communication such as leaflet, panel as well as contest to deeply understand the knowledge of environmental protection and plastic waste prevention among the localities.

Particularly, the women’s association consulted the authority to accompany them to launch the movement, coordinate in execution and ink the commitment to realize the movement together with the relevant competent agencies.

Accordingly, all women’s associations have organized 17 launching ceremonies with nearly 2,000 participants; presented about 1,600 plastic hand baskets, 170 garbage can, 235 fabric bags, 345 sets of boxes, many foam boxes, paper bags to members and locals in order to replace the single use plastic products.

The activities gradually help improve the awareness and change the habit of the members and local residents. Using the alternative items, many people also actively collect, classify and dispose the waste, especially the plastic ones.

Chairwoman of the municipal Women’s Union Duong Phuong Thanh said in order to increase the movement quality, all union levels will further communicate to call for the active engagement of the people, members and business households; coordinate with the organizations and agencies to propagandize the harm of plastic waste and nylon bag to the officers, staff, public servants and labors; encourage to use environmental friendly products.

Also, the women’s union called for the organizations not to use the single use products when organizing the events as well as limit them in daily life activities, hence making the movement become more practical, effective and widespread in the city to preserve good health for each person, family and protect the living environment.

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Vi Le Thanh