HCM City (VNA) – US Consul General in HoChi Minh City Mary Tarnowka has called for actions to improve public awarenessof plastic waste as well as measures to reduce and recycle plastic waste.

Protecting the living environment, especiallycurbing plastic waste, is the responsibility shared by the entire community,the diplomat said at an event to mark the Earth Day (April 22) held by the USConsulate General in HCM City on April 19.

Mary Tarnowka described plastic waste as a seriousthreat, noting that piles of plastic waste in oceans have destroyed the naturalenvironment, adversely affected the marine life and threatened the livingenvironment.

Plastic trash has also accumulated on land, harminghumankind’s life, the Consul General added.

Given this, she urged agencies and units toregularly launch campaigns to clean up rubbish, especially plastic waste, inlocalities, thus raising public awareness of this issue.

Echoing Mary Tarnowka’s views, Quach Thi Xuan,Director of the Da Nang-based Centre for Sustainable Development Consultation,said it is necessary to change people’s habit of using plastic products.

Besides, competent agencies need financial supportto carry out communications programmes as well as projects on recycling plasticwaste and producing environmentally friendly products, she said.

Xuan cited a recent international survey revealingthat Vietnam is one of the five countries in the world discharging the mostplastic waste, with about 1.8 million tonnes dumped each year.

Nguyen Thi Hoai Linh, Director of the Environmentand Development Action organisation in Vietnam, proposed the State issuepolicies aiming to reduce the production of plastic products and encouragebusinesses to produce environmentally friendly products.

Businesses should balance profits and environmentalprotection in production, she said.

A survey conducted by the HCM City Department ofNatural Resources and Environment found that the volume of plastic trash in thecity is just behind food waste, with an estimated 250,000 tonnes of plasticwaste discarded each year.

According to HCM City’s waste recycling fund, if48,000 tonnes of plastic waste, which are buried in the southern metropoliseach year, are recycled, the city can save about 15 billion VND (660,000) annually.-VNA