Green roads, "green" hearts - Part 2: Spreading the green, clean and bright movement

 

 

 

 

The provincial leaders repeatedly affirmed that the success of the Green Sunday movement needs the support of people. From there, positive habits will be formed. The movement has now spread to every street and village road. People's perceptions are changing day by day ...

Ms. Nguyen Thi Truoc, Thuy Phu commune, Huong Thuy town said that, with many generations of Vietnamese people in the past, plastic bags were far-fetched products. Back then, at the market, the goods were carefully packed in banana leaves, baskets were also made of salt water grass or bàng grass (Lepironia articulata) instead of plastic baskets as today.

“If there is demand, there will always be supply. The convenience of plastic bags has changed people's habits. Although there are still some old people who keep the old ways, most modern women are used to using the convenient plastic bags,” said Ms. Truoc.

When Green Sunday was born, the value of traditional ‘packaging’ from the past has been brought back. Local authorities have carried out many campaigns to restrict the use of plastic bags, replacing them with environmentally friendly products.

Ms. Nguyen Thi My Nhung, Chairwoman of Huong Thuy Town Women's Union said: “When the movement “Women use plastic baskets” when going to the market has created positive changes in the awareness of the community. Members also volunteered to sign a pledge to use eco-friendly items when shopping.

Responding to the policy of reducing the use of disposable plastic bags, supermarket chains also joined hands. Here, shoppers are encouraged to use paper bags, cloth bags to buy goods instead of plastic bags.

“In order for the movement to say no to plastic bags and disposable plastic products to spread to all classes of people, communities and society, every official and civil servant in the province must work together to change habits, thinking and perception. They must be the pioneers in saying no to plastic bags and disposable plastic products,” emphasized Chairman Phan Ngoc Tho.

In a conversation about organic products, Director of Hue Viet Company, Nguyen Thi Hue, talked about the idea of making straws from bàng grass, a plant that formed a long-standing craft village by O Lau river.

The project from the idea of this female director has been mentioned by many media platforms as an innovative model, contributing to environmental protection and raising incomes for people growing bàng grass.

"If every citizen uses a bàng grass straw instead of a plastic one, then at least 90 million plastic straws across the country won't have a chance to be manufactured", Hue Viet Company Director Nguyen Thi Hue said hopefully.

With the output of 10 million straws per crop, Hue Viet Company is helping to change people's habits. If the demand for the product is high, the cultivation area of bàng grass will increase, which is “a fishing rod” for many households in Phong Binh commune.

“In addition to straws, there are many local people, businesses knitting handbags, cushions, and etc., with appropriate prices, stimulating consumers to mass use local products, limiting the use of plastic bags, disposable plastic items,” expected Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Khanh, Chairman of Phong Binh Commune People's Committee.

The Huong River - the heritage river is being "eroded" by the negative effects of human. The rise of modern constructions means that the river bed is "gutted", many parts have been eroded by illegal exploitation. From this fact, the model of turning construction waste into sand and gravel by Mr. Duong Duy Long, Director of Long Tuong Co., Ltd. not only brings economic benefits but also contributes to environmental protection.

"The model of collecting construction waste to create products is not merely for the construction industry but also reduces the pressure on rivers from illegal sand and gravel exploitation," Mr. Duong Duy Long affirmed.

Many recycled products made by students are a testament to the spread of the Green Sunday movement. From the contest "Recycling plastic scraps" organized by the provincial Youth Union, useful products of students such as "Lifejackets and food storage containers from plastic waste" have been formed by the research group from A Luoi High School (A Luoi district); "Blackboard wipes with integrated dust suction function” by a group of students from Ha Trung High School (Phu Vang district) or the product "Decorative lights from recycled plastic" from Cao Thang High School (Hue City) ... 

Hue is famous as a green city with a dense system of green landscapes and trees. The Green Sunday movement in life has affirmed Hue's environmental sustainability.

Anyone who has ever browsed the Facebook page of the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Phan Thien Dinh will notice the change of Hue through each of his photo and green view.

Hue is transforming. It is becoming more beautiful. It is becoming greener and is a clean tourist city of ASEAN in the period of 2018-2020. “There are few places as green as Hue. Hue is not overly urbanized. The natural landscape environment is protected. And now there is the Green Sunday movement that is welcomed by the people to maintain a dreamy Hue,” said Mr. Nguyen Van Chien, a visitor to Hue.

Green Sunday models such as, "60 minutes for clean houses and beautiful roads”, "Pick up a piece of trash, and you have made Hue cleaner" or pick up the garbage to say "Thank you, Huong River", etc., are all towards the goal of a Green Hue. Green tourism is also the future of Hue.

On the Green Sundays, it is not difficult to catch the image of tourists picking up garbage. Hue tours also include environmental protection activities, aiming towards responsible tourism in response to Green Sunday. 

Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism said that the construction of tour routes associated with environmental protection activities will help formulate new products and promote the image of Green Hue. “When you are a Hue person and you see tourists picking up garbage to protect the environment, then your own awareness has been transformed. And there's no reason why you won't join hands,” said Mr. Phuc.

It is no coincidence that in just 10 days, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc praised Thua Thien Hue three times. Specifically, on June 2, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent a letter praising the movement "Green Sunday - Take action to make Thua Thien Hue more green - clean - bright" to make Hue more beautiful and poetic. On June 9, at the launching ceremony of national anti-waste plastic movement in Hanoi, the Prime Minister wanted localities to have a good model such as the Green Sunday movement in Hue. On June 10, during a meeting with key provincial leaders, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc continued to praise and appreciate Thua Thien Hue province in implementing the "Green Sunday" movement," saying no with plastic bags and disposable products ". 

The initiative to use glass bottles to replace plastic water bottles of Hue has been highly appreciated and responded to by the National Assembly, the Government, ministries and localities.

The environmental protection of Thua Thien Hue not only receives the response of the people, but from these movements, Hue people have become more amiable in the eyes of international friends. “Through my Hue friends, I know that Green Sunday is a great movement. I think it does not stop at picking up litter but it has changed the perception of Hue people,” a tourist from France shared. 

During the trip to Thua Thien Hue in early October 2019, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tuyen Quang Province, Mr. Tran Ngoc Thuc said that Hue is a bright spot in environmental protection work in the country, especially the daily movement. Green Sunday is being followed and replicated by localities.

During the trip of Tuyen Quang province’s leaders, Thua Thien Hue's model of environmental protection and waste treatment was shared. Experiences were exchanged for replication.

>> Green Sunday: Green roads, "green" hearts - part 1: Cleaning up rubbish for a green and clean environment