Sustaining value of a project

The Project “The Action Network on Reducing – Reusing – Recycling Plastic Waste (3R) in Vietnam” is run by GreenHub, a VUSTA’s STOs, with a total non-refundable grant of $426,999 from the Global Coca-Cola Fund.

Women's Union collects garbage at the beach

The project is sited in Ha Long city, Quang Ninh province aiming to promote participation of stakeholders in the Plastic Waste Reduction Action Network to solve the problem of ocean plastic waste and apply 3Rs to plastic waste; promote economy, start-up in the community, with the active participation of women through 3R activities; find technological solutions suitable for local communities to implement 3R; carry out communication to raise awareness, change behavior and campaign for policies to reduce plastic waste.

The Project, actually, gained the specific achivements for 3-year implementation efforts as of October 2018 to May 2021. First of all, the project successfully built a network of many different parties including domestic and international NGOs such as IUCN, GRET, UN Habitat, UNESCO, Keep Hanoi Clean.... companies, manufacturers, experts, agencies in Quang Ninh province such as Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Women's Unions of Ha Long city and province, Union of Provincial Science and Technology Associations; actively and effectively participate in activities within the framework of the project.

The project supported groups of women in the community in starting up, improving economic efficiency and daily life. By receiving enthusiastic support from Women's Union of Ha Long City and women's associations of wards; The project formed groups to collect and classify wastes, develop and jointly implement the ideas of reducing plastic waste, recycling and reusing. Many business initiatives based on plastic waste have been supported by the project to access markets, consume goods stably, contribute to creating livelihoods and economic efficiency for community women's groups.

Recycling old panels into handy cloth bags

Through the activities of the Youth Union in Ha Long city, the project has connected many youth groups between Hanoi and Ha Long city, organized many useful programs and contests for young people, thereby finding many positive and talented factors; supporting the implementation of many small-scale programs and projects of young people in cleaning up the local living environment, implementing 3R activities, reducing plastic waste.

The project has ended, the sustainable value of the project has been recognized by the local government. At the meeting of the interdisciplinary mission organized by VUSTA with the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province on April 14, 2021, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and relevant departments highly appreciated and instructed to continue to expand the project model to other areas in Quang Ninh province as well as consider the allocation of the provincial budget to continue to maintain the project's operation in the locality.

Author: Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen - VUSTA