Co-launched by the Da Nang Youth Union, and the Chemical and Environmental Safety Center under the municipal Union of Science and Technology Associations, the program ‘Gen Z Da Nang, green actions for the sake of the homeland's sea’ themed ‘Da Nang children engaged in environmental projects in 2023’ has been undertaken in the city on a trial basis with the aim of keeping the city’s children engaged in community projects in a bid to limit plastic waste in the ocean.

Da Nang’s school pupils are introduced to ways how to reduce plastic waste and protect the environment through their participation in the program ‘Gen Z Da Nang, green actions for the homeland’s sea’ Photo: HUYNH LE.

Nearly 1 month after participation in the program ‘Gen Z Da Nang, green actions for the sake of the homeland's sea’, Kieu Ho Thao Nguyen of the Do Dang Tuyen Junior High School, said she had an opportunity to access a lot of information about ocean plastic pollution, and ways to reduce plastic waste. Besides, specialized training courses on project management knowledge and skills, teamwork skills, idea generation techniques, presentation skills, and other skills have helped her improve her ability to handle situation in a calm, objective manner.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Duc Anh, a student of the Le Thi Hong Gam Junior High School, expressed his deep impression with the field trips and fact-finding trips in Da Nang and neighboring Quang Nam Province. Included were one- day field trip to the Tra Que Vegetable Village in Quang Nam Province that gave her a true farmer experience, and a visit to the Silk Sense Hoi An River Resort that helped her learn about a hotel model without plastic waste and single-use plastics.

Furthermore, Duc Anh learned about the Green Cups project, and showed keen interest in its applied- solutions while visiting the Caman Village and a fishing village in which there are organic vegetable gardens and organic waste recycling machines. In these places, the villagers are using plastic disposable cups to grow organic trees and vegetables in bid to extend the useful life of single-use and reusable plastics, thereby bringing economic benefits to local communities. After harvesting, organic vegetables will be provided free of charge to those in need.

“The recycling of single-use cups and lush green plants growing developed by the Green Cups project inspired me and helped me set my goal of using disposable cups to grow a beautiful small garden in order to give plants to my friends and relatives,” Nguyen Duc Anh said excitedly.

This is the first time the Da Nang Youth Union has carried out this program in the city. During the nearly month-long implementation, the program attracted 100 school pupils in Thanh Khe District from 10 project teams. The program gave the participants access to such skills as project management skills, teamwork skills, accessing skills, models of environmental protection, and solutions to ocean plastic pollution.

In the end, excellent ‘Black Ocean’ project team won first prize in this program for its idea ‘A one-to-one exchange booth for the sake of blue ocean’. Phan Thi Bao Kim, a student of the Nguyen Trai Senior High School, who is the team leader, said that inspired by a  desire for promoting household-waste collection and recycling among their friends, her team became the first winner with this idea. Specifically, her team has set a goal that 0.2-2.3kg of recycled materials will be exchanged for a snail or clam keychain while a recycled fabric bag will be given to those for their over than 0.5kg of recyclables.

Mr Bui Van Xuan, the Director of the Chemical and Environmental Safety Center said that the results of consumer behaviour research conducted in 2020 by the project ‘ Reducing ocean plastic waste in Viet Nam" showed that 40% of Viet Nam’s school pupils and college students had little knowledge of single-use plastics. This urged the center to work with the Da Nang Youth Union, and relevant local agencies to launch the program ‘Gen Z Da Nang, green actions for the sake of the homeland's sea’. The program has given Da Nang’s school students access to sucessful environmental protection projects, thereby encouraging them to take actions to reduce plastic waste and manage solid waste at the source.

Nguyen Thi Anh Thao, the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Youth Union that the nearly month-long program has raised environmental awareness among Da Nang’s students, and inspired them to develop many creative and feasible ideas to protect the environment. Including were events to promote waste source separation by encouraging local residents to exchange recyclables found at home for their favorite  gifts, colorful houses for animals, automated boat which is designed to harvest floating trashes, self-sorting garbage bin, and whales washing up on the beach.

With its initial success, the Da Nang Youth Union plans to expand the implementation of this program into other districts in the city. Besides, importance will be attached to enhancing coordination with the Chemical and Environmental Safety Center to call for funding for excellent projects to carry out in the 2023-2025 period.

Reporting by HUYNH LE – Translating by H.L