The project is one of 12 nationwide that IUCN and Greenhub – an NGO working in waste management – have implemented to support the community in classifying waste.
Bui Thi Thu Hien, Marine and Coastal Resources Program Coordinator at IUCN (Vietnam Office) said the programme will help staff of MPAs in Vietnam identify kinds of plastic waste.
Hien said the programme will also collect information to build a database on plastic waste and offer policy advice on how to reduce and control plastic waste and plastic production.
She said the programme will take place at 12 MPAs at least once a year towards the target of ‘zero-plastic waste’.
Cham Islands, 20km off the coast of Hoi An, is the first site in Vietnam promoting the successful reduction of plastic bags and 3-Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) since 2011.
The Islands – a World Biosphere Reserve site – ban all use of plastic bags among local residents and tourists, and launched the campaign ‘say no to single-use plastic straws and cups’ early this year.
The Islands, including eight islets with 3,000 inhabitants, hosts more than 400,000 tourists each year.
