Quang Nam (VNA) - TheCham Islands’ Marine Protected Area (MPA) management board, in cooperation withthe International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has launched a newgarbage sorting programme as part of efforts to reduce plastic waste in Vietnam.

Theproject is one of 12 nationwide that IUCN and Greenhub – an NGO working inwaste management – have implemented to support the community in classifyingwaste.

Bui ThiThu Hien, Marine and Coastal Resources Program Coordinator at IUCN (VietnamOffice) said the programme will help staff of MPAs in Vietnam identify kinds ofplastic waste.

Hien saidthe programme will also collect information to build a database on plasticwaste and offer policy advice on how to reduce and control plastic waste andplastic production.

“It’scrucial to help State agencies and ministries get clear data before offeringappropriate policies in plastic waste management and production as well assupporting capacity for MPAs in waste management,” Hien said.

She saidthe programme will take place at 12 MPAs at least once a year towards thetarget of ‘zero-plastic waste’.

Accordingto Greenhub, waste can be found at beaches from northern Quang Ninh province toCon Dao Island in southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, while plastic wasteaccounts for 80 percent of the total solid waste at 30 beaches in Vietnam.

Cham Islands,20km off the coast of Hoi An, is the first site in Vietnam promoting thesuccessful reduction of plastic bags and 3-Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) since2011.

TheIslands – a World Biosphere Reserve site – ban all use of plastic bags amonglocal residents and tourists, and launched the campaign ‘say no to single-use plastic straws andcups’ early this year.

TheIslands, including eight islets with 3,000 inhabitants, hosts more than 400,000tourists each year.-VNA