ĐÀ NẴNG — The central city has opened the first 'single-use plastic-free street' in the tourist zone on Sơn Trà peninsula.

It is part of the programme Promoting Single-Use Plastics Reduction in An Hải Ward aiming to build Đà Nẵng into a more environmentally aware and greener city.

Quách The Xuân, Country Director of the Pacific Environment and Resources Centre (PE) in Việt Nam, said the project, which was jointly co-designed and implemented by the PE and An Hải Ward’s People’s Committee, aims to encourage communities, businesses, schools and tourism services to reduce the use of single-use plastics.

She said it expects 80 per cent of participating accommodations, businesses, households and schools to commit to stop using single-use plastics by the end of 2027.

Hà Bổng Street, one of the most crowded tourist zones in the city, has been selected for the launch before expanding to the other communities in the city, Xuân added.

Residents and businesses in the street have attended discussions on plastic consumption and the reduction of the use of plastic bags and other single-use plastic products in their daily lives, she said.

Xuân added: “Each participating household also received a reusable shopping basket and a set of reusable food containers in starting their action plans in involving plastic-reduction solutions into everyday practices and moving towards a ‘greener’ and more sustainable Hà Bổng tourism street.”

The project is seen as the first activity in engaging the community, assessing current plastic use and developing practical solutions contributing to Đà Nẵng’s vision of becoming an environmentally friendly city.

According to a survey by Greenhub, an NGO, the city discharged more than 1,100 tonnes of waste each day, of which more than 22 per cent was plastic.

Thanh Khê Ward agreed to a less plastic urban commitment with World Wild Fund-Việt Nam, and businesses at the Hàn Market in the city began tghe application of the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle).

More than 1,200 teachers and 24,000 primary school students in the city took part in the Clean Cities, Blue Ocean pilot project to make their schools greener. — VNS