For Ha Long Bay without plastic waste

Over the past 5 years, the program "Say no to plastic waste" has been strongly and synchronously implemented by Quang Ninh province, bringing positive effects to develop sustainable tourism.

A set of disposable plastic alternatives for tourists on cruise ships of the Ha Long Bay Management Board. Photo: Tung Dinh.

Since 2019, implementing the Prime Minister's and Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee's instructions on combating plastic waste, Ha Long Bay Management Board has launched the program "Ha Long Bay without plastic waste" with the content of not buying, selling and using single-use plastic products in service and tourism activities on Ha Long Bay, along with many environmental protection plans.

To achieve efficiency in collection, the Management Board has proposed a plan to collect floating waste divided into two areas: Coastal buffer zone and core Heritage area.

For the coastal buffer zone, the Ha Long City People's Committee is currently carrying out collection activities, focusing on coastal waters and coastal areas to prevent and minimize waste from being released into Ha Long Bay. For the core area of ​​the Heritage, the Ha Long Bay Management Board is carrying out collection activities, including concentrated collection activities in socio-economic areas: routes, tourist spots, aquaculture areas, places where garbage often accumulates (along the foot of the island, sandbanks, etc.), and flows from coastal areas into the bay.

Some images of the Ha Long Bay Management Board's campaign against using plastic items. Photo: Tung Dinh.

In addition, every month or when there is a lot of garbage during the year, the Management Board organizes campaigns to increase environmental sanitation and collect garbage in the bay, with the participation of organizations, individuals, and communities in the bay, thereby spreading and creating a movement to clean the sea.

At the same time, the Management Board also installed floating trash bins in many areas with concentrated economic and social activities on the bay, so that people do not throw trash into the sea; installed trash sorting bins at tourist attractions; requested tourism service units on the bay to organize trash collection, ensuring the environmental landscape in the management area. All collected trash will be transported to shore for processing during the day.

As an area developing in the direction of tourism economy, the number of people visiting Ha Long Bay every day is large, so the propaganda to raise public awareness is also extremely important. In particular, the Bay Management Board also implemented a propaganda plan for businesses, individuals doing tourism business, tourists, people living in coastal areas of Ha Long Bay and fishermen on the bay about environmental protection, classifying waste at source, disposing of waste in the right place... with activities that received support from the community such as: Green Sunday - all people participate in cleaning the environment...; strengthen the coordination and support of central and local news agencies, newspapers and social organizations.

Media publications campaigning against the use of plastic waste in Ha Long Bay. Photo: Tung Dinh.

Through information provision activities, the Board's tour guides and local management staff have posted signs and broadcast propaganda on loudspeakers at tourist attractions; in addition, the Board has replaced foam buoys in floating structures on the bay with environmentally friendly products according to Quang Ninh Province's standards; combated plastic waste; and increased propaganda to coastal communities, fish markets, and anchoring points operating right next to Ha Long Bay.

In addition, the Bay Management Board also actively cooperates with domestic and foreign organizations (UNESCO, IUCN, JICA, Osaka University, Embassy of Japan in Vietnam...) to implement projects and cooperation activities to attract investment and science and technology in environmental protection of Ha Long Bay such as: Planting mangrove forests, exchanging information in monitoring and analyzing environmental quality, organizing study tours to improve environmental protection capacity; Installing wastewater treatment equipment using Jokaso technology at tourist attractions in Ha Long Bay, collecting and transporting waste in Ha Long Bay; organizing propaganda activities to reduce waste in Ha Long Bay area.

Mineral water in recyclable aluminum cans can replace plastic bottles. Photo: Tung Dinh.

From the above implementation plans, the program "Ha Long Bay without plastic waste" has received great consensus in the community and positive response from the majority of businesses, people, tourists, especially the response and implementation of travel agencies, cruise ship owners, Ha Long International Cruise Port...

Up to now, hundreds of businesses, tourist boat businesses, kayak and rowboat service businesses, and aquaculture businesses and households have signed a commitment with the Ha Long Bay Management Board not to use disposable plastic products in tourism service activities on Ha Long Bay.

The solemn rally in response to World Environment Day (June 5) and the launch of the Action Month for the Environment 2025 was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in coordination with the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province; Agriculture and Environment Newspaper is the implementing unit.

This year's event has the global theme "Beat Plastic Pollution", launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Program partners include: Petrolimex, PV GAS, Petrovietnam, TKV, Vinamilk, La Vie, VIMC, EVNGENCO1, URENCO…

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/vi-vinh-ha-long-khong-rac-thai-nhua-d756018.html