Community based plastic waste management in sam son, thanh hoa province

z VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF FORESTRY FOREST RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FACULTY STUDENT THESIS COMMUNITY-BASED PLASTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT IN SAM SON, THANH HOA PROVINCE Major: Advanced Cirriculum in Natural Resources Management Code: D850101 Faculty: Forest Resources & Environmental Management Student: Bui Thi Huong Student ID: 1553090580 Class: K60 Natural Resources Management Course: 2015 – 2019 Advanced Education Program Developed in Collaboration with Colorado State University, USA Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Tran Thi Thu Ha Hanoi, 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDEMENTS i ABTRACT ii INTRODUCTION LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Rationale for community-based plastic waste management 2.2 Current situation of community-based plastic waste management in Vietnam GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 3.1 Goals 3.2 Objectives SITE DESCRIPTION 10 METHODOLOGIES 15 5.1 Collecting data 15 5.1.1 Secondary data collection 15 5.1.2 Primary data collection 15 5.2 Data analysis 17 5.2.1 Descriptive statistic 17 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 18 6.1 The pollution situation and plastic waste management in Sam Son 18 6.2 The change in awareness and behavior of participants regarding to plastic waste pollution in Sam Son after the project 23 6.2.1 The description of the respondents 23 6.2.2 Local authorities 24 6.2.3 Local people 25 6.2.4 Students and pupils 32 6.3 Proposing a model of community-based plastic waste management in Sam Son 36 6.4 Recommendations to improve the model operation 42 CONCLUSION 46 REFERENCES 48 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3.1 Geographic location of Sam Son 10 Figure 6.1 Trung Son landfill 21 Figure 6.2 Activities of the program “Let's clean the sea in 2019” in Sam Son 25 Figure 6.3 The change in knowledge about plastic waste after project 26 Figure 6.4 The using of plastic products compared to before joining the project 27 Figure 6.5 Plastic waste treatment of households 29 Figure 6.6 Willingness to participate in community-based plastic waste management model of respondents 32 Figure 6.7 The using of plastic products compared to before joining the project 34 Figure 6.8 Management model diagram 38 LIST OF TABLES Table 5.1 SWOT analysis 18 Table 6.1 Composition of waste in Sam Son 19 Table 6.2 Description of respondents 24 Table 6.3 The number of plastic bags and bottles that respondents have been using every single week 28 Table 6.4 The frequency of reflection with environmental issues to the local authorities 31 Table 6.6 The number of plastic bags and bottles that respondents have been using every single week 35 Table 6.7 SWOT analysis of the model 40 ACKNOWLEDEMENTS I would like to express my very great appreciation to Assoc Prof Dr Tran Thi Thu Ha, my research supervisor, for her enthusiastic encouragements and useful critiques of this research work Without her thoughtful, patient guidance through every step of my research, this thesis could not have been realized Thanks to cooperating between Vietnam National University of Forestry and Colorado State University, I have chance to approach a reservoir of international knowledge and experience I would like to extend my thanks to U.S Embassy in Hanoi for valuable sponsorship about funding and human resources to help me implement the project “Protecting Sam Son from plastic waste pollution” This project helps me a lot in completing my research I would also like to thank to The Centre for Supporting Green Development – GreenHub as a great strategic partner in my project Moreover, I highly appreciate to Ms Jen Vuhuong - Founder of Empower Leaders Academy and Empower You seminar in Bristol, the UK; Ms Ha Ngan Ha - Expert from The Green Support and Development Center – GreenHub and Mrs Tran Mai Anh Phuong Coordinator of “Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI)” in 2018, Cultural Affairs Officer, U.S Embassy in Hanoi for the great support Without them, my project would be very difficult to succeed I also want to express my gratitude to local authorities and local people in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province for supporting me carried out survey questionnaires and group discussion, followed by me with useful information about Sam Son i ABTRACT Plastic waste reduction is one of the biggest challenges that people have to solve to protect the environment The fight against plastic waste requires all stakeholders to participate And the community is one of the most important factors It is necessary to have a community-based plastic waste management model at the local Sam Son is one of the most beautiful coastal cities of Vietnam Every year, it attracts millions of tourists However, in recent years, Sam Son influenced seriously by plastic waste pollution One of my projects “Protecting Sam Son from plastic waste pollution” was implemented here with the sponsorship of U.S Embassy in Hanoi It has raised awareness of local people about plastic waste pollution and helped them know how to classify trash in their house This study was conducted to assess the changes of awareness, attitude and behavior of local people regarding to plastic waste pollution in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province after the implementation of the project “Protecting Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province from plastic waste pollution”, thereby propose solutions to minimize pollution and build a model of community-based plastic waste management in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province The model of community-based plastic waste management has been applied in many places but due to different socio-economic conditions in different localities, these models are also different to suit the local conditions This study will also investigate and consider the natural, residential and social conditions of Sam Son to make recommendations on an appropriate model ii INTRODUCTION Plastics have come to play a crucial role in modern life, but the environmental impacts of the way we use them cannot be ignored A large and unquantifiable amount of plastic waste enters the ocean from littering, poorly managed landfills, tourist activities and fisheries Some of this material sinks to the ocean floor, while some floats and can travel over great distances on ocean currents - polluting shorelines and accumulating in massive mid-ocean gyres There have been many reliable reports of environmental damage due to plastic waste: mortality or illness when ingested by sea creatures such as turtles, entanglement of animals such as dolphins and whales, and damage to critical habitats such as coral reefs There are also concerns about chemical contamination, invasive species spread by plastic fragments and economic damage to the fishing and tourism industries in many countries - by, for example, fouling fishing equipment and polluting beaches [1] Moreover, recent scientific research shows that plastic waste will be decomposed into very small plastic particles, which cannot be seen in the water [2] Marine fauna and flora, instead of eating organic food, will eat the plastic particles They will affect the health of humans eating these types of seafood And a fact that, plastic waste can threaten life under the sea when marine fauna are died due to eating them The expert warned that plastic is leading to “dead zones” that are killing aquatic stock many people depend upon [4] Vietnam is one of Asia’s five worst polluters of ocean plastic waste, according to international organizations With 13 million tones of waste released to the ocean every year, the country ranks 17th in the world for ocean plastic waste pollution [3] The report of the Ocean Conservancy in 2015 also showed the same conclusion: 60 percent of ocean plastic waste came from China, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam [4] People in coastal fishing villages of Vietnam began suffering from plastic waste even before scientists gave warnings In Vietnam, the coastal line provides livelihood for millions as well as food security for the whole country [3] But many recent studies have pointed out a scary prediction that if no action is taken, there will be more trash than fish in the ocean by 2050 [4] Sam Son is located 16 kilometers east of Thanh Hoa city It is granted by the nature with a beautiful beach lying at the foot of Truong Le Mountain This place is also rich in cultural features with various traditional festivals Sam Son boasts its legendary beauty of several historical buildings and natural landscapes together with the folk legends which link the past with the present and one of the most beautiful beaches in North Vietnam Every year, it attracts millions of tourists However, in recent years, Sam Son influenced seriously by plastic waste pollution The visitors are disturbed by rubbish and foul odor in the beaches Sadly, from a promising land like Sam Son soon will become a place of absenteeism, poverty, stagnation if this problem is not resolved [5] Plastic waste pollution in Sam Son almost comes from poor consumption habits, the sense of maintaining environmental hygiene is still poor and there is no effective connection between the government and the people in the protection activities environment The awareness and participation of the community in reducing plastic waste pollution is very important One of my projects, “Protecting Sam Son from plastic waste pollution” was implemented here with the sponsorship of U.S Embassy in Hanoi It has created positive values in raising awareness and changing behavior for local people related to the reduction of plastic waste pollution Therefore, I proceed to carry out the research: “Community-based plastic waste management in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province” This research will assess the change of awareness, attitude and behavior of local people regarding to plastic waste pollution after the project, thereby propose solutions to minimize pollution and build a model of community-based plastic waste management in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Rationale for community-based plastic waste management  Concept of community and community organization There are many different concepts about the community Normally, a community is understood as a collection of people who share a common history, have a common area of residence, have the same laws and regulations or gather a group of people with similar socio-economic characteristics society and culture Another concept is that the community is a group of people with similar interests and interests, having the same geographical area, having the same language (or type of language) and having similar characteristics Currently in our country, the term community has been used quite popularly in economic and social life A community may be a small population group (for example, a community in a village, a commune, a community of people who recycle waste in a village, a commune, etc.) or it may be a community of people one ethnic group, many ethnic groups share the same similarities (Vietnamese community in foreign countries, international community in French-speaking countries, community of ASEAN countries ) In Vietnam, the following community organizations are currently available: - Community organizations established in accordance with the law on associations, such as unions, general associations, unions, associations, clubs The goal of the project is that residents in Sam Son and visitors coming here can change their perception and behavior about using plastic waste and avoiding causing environmental pollution The project’s objectives are: + raising awareness of local people with plastic waste pollution; + changing behavior of local people in the reduction of plastic products; + changing community-based recycling practices for plastic waste; + cleaning up, classifying and recycling plastic waste Activities to achieve the project objectives: Organizing event: “Sam Son Clean up Event” (December 9th, 2018) including two parts:  Workshop: “The program of raising awareness of people about plastic waste pollution” Time: Morning of December 9th, 2018 Place: Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province Participants: speakers, invitees, residents, visitors and local authorities in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province Main activities: - Introduction about the project; - Listening residents’ and visitors’ and local authorities’ ideas about the project; - Providing knowledge: Current situation of plastic waste pollution in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province; harm of plastic waste; how to classify and recycle plastic waste,…; - Talking about benefits of using personal water tank; fabric bag to reduce plastic waste; 49 - Changing community-based recycling practices for plastic waste; - Encouraging restaurants to minimize or eliminate plastic in the supply chain  The campaign of cleaning up, classifying and recycling at some areas and beaches in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province Time: Afternoon of December 9th, 2018 Participants: volunteers, residents, visitors, tourists, local authorities… Main activities: - Introduction about some activities and safety guidelines of the campaign; - Cleaning up at some areas and beaches in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province: use inox tongs, fabric gloves and packaging (not plastic bags) to clean up (provided by the project); - Classifying plastic waste and trash; - Contacting with environmental company or organization to recycle 50 Total expense of the project is 19.143.200 VND (got sponsored of United States Embassy – U.S Embassy) Table The real expense of the project Activity/Item Description Total real expense: 19.143.200 VND Cost (VND) Quantity Total (VND) Administration 1,1 Meals 1.008.800 ₫ 1,2 Travel 2.991.000 ₫ 3.999.800 ₫ Subtotal Promotional Items 2,1 Personal water tank 80 1.353.000 ₫ 2,2 Fabric bag 50 3.575.000 ₫ Tongs, gloves, packings 2,3 -₫ (for cleaning up) 2,4 Tongs 15.000 đ 35 525.000 ₫ 2,5 Gloves 7.000 đ 120 840.000 ₫ 2,6 Packings 5.000 ₫ 40 200.000 ₫ 6.493.000 ₫ Subtotal Meals & Beverage (relevant to activity) 3,1 3,2 820.400 ₫ Meals Meals for speakers 340.000 ₫ 1.160.400 ₫ Subtotal 51 Speaker Fees 4,1 Speaker Fees 500.000 đ 1.000.000 ₫ 4,2 Speaker Fees 100.000 đ 17 1.700.000 ₫ 2.700.000 ₫ Subtotal Lodging & Per Diem Lodging and travel for speakers (Hanoi to 5,1 1.200.000 đ Thanh Hoa) 2.400.000 ₫ 2.400.000 ₫ Subtotal Supplies, Materials, and Equipment 6,1 Banner 450.000 ₫ Subtotal 450.000 ₫ Others Volunteers (training, 7,1 25.000 đ meals, lodging) 70 1.750.000 ₫ Medical (medical tapes, 7,2 -₫ drugs for cleaning up) 7,3 Medical tapes 4.000 đ 20 80.000 ₫ 7,4 Urgo 55.000 ₫ 110.000 ₫ 1.940.000 ₫ Subtotal Project Costs (VND) 19.143.200 52 Results of the project December 9th, 2018, within the framework of the project “Protecting Sam Son from plastic waste pollution”, the workshop “The program of raising awareness of people about plastic waste pollution” and campaign “Sam Son clean up” took place with the participation of about 180 people In the morning, the workshop with more than 100 participants that included local people; local authorities; invitee; speakers; pupils – students took place in Bac Son commune, Sam Son city, Thanh Hoa province with duration of three hours Through the workshop, participants were provided knowledge about plastic waste pollution and multi-view about reycling solutions In the afternoon of the same day, campaign “Sam Son clean up” with 70 volunteers already collected 124.1 kilograms trash (from classifying trash collected, plastic waste occupies a large number - 65.6 kilogams, equivalent to 52,8% in the total amount of trash) They cleaned up at Sam Son beach and some areas in the residential areas as streets 53 Appendix 2: Check list for interviewing local authorities The general information about Sam Son: History, area, administrative maps The number of households in the area, population Does the entire area have any trash collecting systems? If yes, after collecting, how to classify and treat trash? The situation of plastic waste pollution in the area in 2019? Some comments about the project “Protecting Sam Son form plastic waste pollution”? After the project “Protecting Sam Son from plastic waste pollution”, how does the situation of plastic waste pollution change? Positive or negative? Regulations and policies in the management and treatment of plastic waste in the area recently? Does local administration have some community-based plastic waste management plans? Like some programs of raising awareness for local people to minimize plastic waste pollution? 54 Appendix 3: Questionnaires for interviewing local people Part 1: The change of awareness and behaviour of local people about classification and reduction of plastic waste pollution after the project “Protecting Sam Son form plastic waste pollution”? The PR program of the project “Protecting Sam Son form plastic waste pollution” is good or not good? � Good � Not good Does your knowledge about plastic waste enhance after the project? � Yes � No Do you think that it is essential to minimize plastic waste pollution in your local? � Yes � No How many plastic bags and bottles that you have been using every single week? �6 � 15 � 10 � Other:.….… The number of plastic bags and bottles that you have been using every single week is less or more than before? � Less � More Do you think that using less plastic bags in everyday life is inconvenient? 55 � Yes � No After participating in our project, you know how to sort your trash? � Yes � No If the answer of question is “Yes”, please ticking [x] in the blank that you think it is right? Trash type Trash Organic Inorganic Banana peel, orange peel Plastic bag, plastic bottle Metal can Paper Leftover food Wood Which way you use treat the plastic waste in your house? � Burn waste, burry � Recycle � Public wastebasket � Freely waste � Sign up to waste with people’s committee � Release to the lake 10 What you know about plastic waste collecting services in your area? � Government and private � People waste collecting 56 � People waste collecting � Public works board 11 Do you usually recycle your households appliances (such as plastic bottles, plastic bags, clothes,…)? � Yes � No (Reason:………………………………………………………….) � Sometimes 12 Which level you assess about the plastic waste treatment in this area now? � Good � Very good � Not good � No assessment 13 Is it necessary to classify plastic waste? � Yes � No (Reason:………………………………………………………………) 14 Which level you access about the important of participator’s role in plastic waste classification and reduction? (Enumerate 1-5 with is less important and is the most important) Participator Role Local authorities Volunteers Local people Project leaders and members Environment company 57 15 Do you recommend any methods to classify and reduce plastic waste in your area? ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… Part 2: Local people’s ideas about community-based plastic waste reduction method Do you think that you are an important factor in plastic waste reduction? � Yes � No (Reason:………………………………………………………………) Does the local area have any plastic waste classification practices for local people? � Yes � No � Sometimes Which media you use to get information about plastic waste pollution? � Communication media (newspaper, radio, social media,…) � Residential groups � People around, neighborhoods � Others:……………………………………………………………………… Do you usually reflect environmental issues to the local authorities? � Very usually � Usually � Sometimes � Never 58 Which reasons lead to people through garbage to wrong place? (Can choose more than option) Reason Habit Waste money Waste time Lack of knowledge Follow people around Not interested In your area, there are any communication programs about plastic waste classification and reduction? (Aside from our project “Protecting Sam Son plastic waste pollution) � Yes � No � Sometimes If there are a community-based plastic waste management model in your local area, are you willing to participate in these programs? � Yes � No (Reason:……………………………………………………………….) Do you have any recommendations for building a community-based plastic waste management model? ……………………………………………………………………………………… 59 Appendix 4: Questionnaires for interviewing pupils and students After joining our project, you contribute to spreading the message about reducing plastic waste to people around? � Yes � No (Reason:……………………………………………………………) Have you had or been having an idea to implement a plastic waste reduction project? � Yes � No How many plastic bags and bottles that you have been using every single week? �6 � 15 � 10 � Other:.….… The number of plastic bags and bottles that you have been using every single week is less or more than before? � Less � More Does your knowledge about plastic waste enhance after our project? � Yes � No Do you classify plastic waste at your house? (If the answer is “Yes”, move to question 7) � Yes � No Who did the plastic waste classification at your house? 60 � Grandfather � Grandmother � Father � Mother � Other:………………………………………………………………… If the answer of question is “Yes”, please ticking [x] in the blank that you think it is right? Trash type Trash Organic Inorganic Banana peel, orange peel Plastic bag, plastic bottle Metal can Paper Leftover food Wood Which media you use to get information about plactic waste pollution? � Communication media (newspaper, radio, social media,…) � Residential groups � People around, neighborhoods � Others:……………………………………………………………………… If there are a community-based plastic waste management model in your local area, are you willing to participate in these programs? � Yes 61 � No (Reason:……………………………………………………………….) 10 Do you have any recommendations for building a community-based plastic waste management model? ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… Appendix Check list for group discussion What think about the project “Protecting Sam Son from plastic waste pollution”? Is it implemented effectively? In your opinion, whose participation is the most important to implement a project or model effectively? Why? Which factor affect to the awareness of people in your point of view? Do you think that communities play a very important role in plastic waste reduction? If there are a community-based plastic waste management model in your local area, you think it will get efficiency? Do you have any recommendations for building a community-based plastic waste management model? 62 Appendix Some pictures of project “Protecting Sam Son from plastic waste pollution” (Source: Take by author) 63