Trade unions accompany businesses to protect the environment and reduce plastic waste

Nearly 60 union officials from the southern provinces and cities and the Vietnam Rubber Trade Union attended the workshop "Trade unions participate in environmental protection and plastic waste reduction" organized by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor on the afternoon of June 17, in Ho Chi Minh City.

Ms. Ho Thi Kim Ngan - Deputy Head of the Department of Legal Policy - Labor Relations, Vietnam General Confederation of Labor - said that according to the report of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), every year, about 430 million tons of plastic are produced in the world, most of which are disposable products, less than 10% are recycled.

In Vietnam, about 1.8 million tons of plastic waste are released into the environment each year, of which 0.28 to 0.73 million tons are discharged into the sea, only about 27% of the plastic waste is recycled and exploited by facilities and businesses.

micro-lastic grains enter food, water, and air. It is estimated that each person on the planet can receive more than 50,000 microplasts per year, which is harmful to human health and ecosystems.

Dr. Phan Quang Thang - Institute of Energy Science, Technology and Environment, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology - said that plastic waste affects the soil, water, air, marine environment and socio-economic impact.

Anti-playstatic seeds enter humans through the digestive tract (food, water), air, skin contact, and can interact with microorganisms as well as the intestinal microbiome.

Dr. Luu Duc Dien - Aquaculture Research Institute II - said that developing a circular economic model is to reduce plastic waste and the harmful effects of plastic waste.

Dr. Dien mentioned the "scrap collection model" among union members and employees implemented by the Trade Union of Hoang Mai Joint Stock Company (Quang Ngai province).

Accordingly, after working hours, union members and workers in each department and each union group collect the scrap of their department and collect it in a designated place and then sell it to scrap collection facilities every two months. Thereby, Hoang Mai Trade Union helps Hoang Mai Trade Union collect from 8 to 15 million VND annually to contribute to the trade union fund to visit and support union members and workers in difficult circumstances, those who are sick, receive annual Tet gifts and do social and charity work.

According to Dr. Dien, doing the above not only helps the Trade Union earn more funds but also contributes to reducing plastic waste and effectively protecting the environment.

At the workshop, many union officials also said that the union needs to continue to accompany businesses in propagating, educating and communicating about the harmful effects of plastic waste, launching to reduce the use of plastic products, prioritizing the use of recycled and environmentally friendly products among workers.

Trade unions need to coordinate with enterprises to promote the circular economy, limit waste in general, plastic waste in particular, especially among workers and replicate it in society.

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