The Da Nang Department of Natural Resources and the Environment will mobilise resources from cooperation projects with domestic and foreign organisations to support grassroots localities, associations and mass organisations to promote the movement of waste sorting at the source, especially supporting the collection, consumption and treatment of recyclable waste.

Currently, the movement of waste sorting at source is promoted in many local areas. Women in Khue My Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District collect recyclable trash from households. Photo: HOANG HIEP

Recently, the Da Nang Women's Union (WU) awarded trolleys and collection bins for recyclable and hazardous waste and a number of vehicles for sorting waste at source with a total value of nearly VND100 million for women's associations.

These vehicles are supported by the project ‘Local solutions for plastic pollution’ funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Center for supporting Green Development (GreenHub).

The municipal WU also cooperated with GreenHub to organise training for core members of Green Living Clubs of all levels on waste separation at source, coping up harmful effects of plastic on human health and the environment to mobilize public participation.

Vice President of the municipal Women's Union Luong Thi Dao said that, under this year’s plan, her agency will coordinate with localities to survey the actual needs of residential areas in the wards of My An, Khue My, Hoa Hai in Ngu Hanh Son District to provide them with equipment such as recyclable and hazardous waste bins and carts.

According to the Da Nang Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, over the past time, the campaign of waste separation at source has achieved certain positive results.

In 2021 alone, 1,453 tonnes of recyclable waste was collected and sold for VND3,144 billion.
Till date, districts and related agencies have promoted nine cooperation projects with international organisations, foreign non-governmental organisations.

Since then, the city has received a total funding of more than VND70 billion, along with many technical support and international experience to implement the movement of waste sorting at source, and solid waste management as a whole in the 2021 – 2024 period.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Ha, the Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Sub-Department under the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, revealed that the above-mentioned funding sources have been allocated to many associations and organizations, especially the municipal WU for the implementation of waste separation at source and solid waste management.

On February 14, the municipal People's Committee agreed in principal to join the ‘Clean Cities, Blue Ocean, which is USAID’s flagship programme to combat ocean plastic pollution with activities to achieve the goal of promoting 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycling), strengthening the market for recycled plastic.

Previously, on January 28, the municipal administration approved the deployment of roject of building a sustainable circular economy for plastic waste in Viet Nam funded by Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA) through iDE Organization Viet Nam, a non-governmental organisation.

Under the DKK 10 million project, from now until February 2024, the focus is on building a circular economy for plastics, ensuring a stable supply of input plastic waste for output production activities in the value chain, and increasing output demand for products made from recycled plastics and disposable plastics.

International cooperation projects have supported the city with great resources in terms of both funding and technology, experience, in-depth knowledge on solid waste management.

In particular, the new projects approved by the municipal People's Committee help mobilise businesses to participate in the consumption and recycling of waste, especially plastic trash so as to promote the widespread development of waste sorting at source.

Reporting by HOANG HIEP- Translating by A.THU