Environment

Alliance of retailers seeks to change consumer behaviour

An alliance of retailers who have pledged to reduce single-use plastic bags (the Plastic Alliance) has launched campaigns to encourage people to use environmentally-friendly products.
Alliance of retailers seeks to change consumer behaviour ảnh 1An alliance of retailers who have pledged to reduce single-use plastic bags has launched communicative campaigns to encourage consumers to use environmental-friendly products. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - An alliance of retailers who have pledged to reduce single-use plasticbags (the Plastic Alliance) haslaunched campaigns to encourage people to use environmental-friendlyproducts.

The Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment(ISPONRE) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE), incoordination with Hanoi's Department of Industry and Trade (DoIT), called onenterprises to sign up to the commitment related to plastic waste reduction. It is part of the “Rethinking Plastics - Circular Economy Solutions to MarineLitter in Vietnam” project funded by the European Union (EU) and the GermanGovernment, and carried out by the French Agency for International TechnicalCooperation (Expertise France).

A survey by the institute showed that up to 104,000 single-use plastic bags areused at supermarkets each day, equivalent to 38 million bags a year.

Nguyen Trung Thang, DeputyDirector of ISPONRE, said the Plastic Alliance gathers 16 retailers and hasstepped up communication efforts aimed at encouraging and creating favourableconditions for residents to replace non-biodegradable plastic bags witheco-friendly bags.

Fanny Quertamp, senioradvisor of Expertise France in Vietnam, said concerns were raised at thebeginning of the project because the perception was it would be difficult tochange people’ behaviour, especially when plastic bags are free and somesupermarkets are afraid of losing customers. However, it proved to be effectivethanks to the participation of DoIT and active support from the alliance members,she said.

According to Kim Thi ThuyNgoc, head of the Science and International Cooperation Department underISPONRE, communication activities play an important role in changing people'sbehaviour in shifting away from the use of single-use and non-biodegradableplastics to eco-friendly alternatives.

Government policies relatingto the production, import and use of nylon bags also contribute to reducingconsumption of these products.

She cited a project onstrengthening the management of plastic waste in Vietnam as an example. Theproject, which was started by MoNRE and has been approved by the PrimeMinister, targets the use of 100 percent environmentally-friendly plastic bagsand packaging at shopping malls and supermarkets in the country by 2025.

Other goals include collecting, reusing, recycling and treating 85 percent ofplastic waste. It intends to reduce the volume of plastic waste dumped intooceans by half; and completely cut plastic waste from tourism complexes, hotelsand other lodging facilities.

Alliance of retailers seeks to change consumer behaviour ảnh 2A project on strengthening the management of plastic waste in Vietnam targets the use of 100 percent environmentally-friendly plastic bags and packaging at shopping malls and supermarkets in the country by 2025. (Photo: VNA)

A government decree datedJanuary 1, 2022 guiding the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Environmental Protection stipulatedthat the manufacturing and importing of non-biodegradable nylon bags withdimensions less than 50cm x 50cm and film thickness of less than 50 micrometreswill be stopped from January 1, 2026. The production and import of single-useplastic products and non-biodegradable plastic packaging will also be banned fromDecember 31, 2030./.

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