Schools teach students how to live green

The conference took place on October 21, with more than 100 delegates attending in person in Hue and connecting online at more than 1,000 locations across the country.

This is a forum for schools, management agencies and social organizations to share experiences and take action towards the goal of reducing plastic waste in education , spreading the spirit of plastic waste-free schools nationwide.

Director of the Department of International Cooperation (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) Nguyen Do Anh Tuan spoke at the workshop.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan - Director of the Department of International Cooperation (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), affirmed that ASEAN is moving towards an inclusive and sustainable future with the motto One vision, one identity, one community and the principle Towards a green and sustainable ASEAN future .

Mr. Tuan emphasized that schools are not only places to teach literacy, but also places to teach students how to live green. In Vietnam, many schools have pioneered in reducing plastic, recycling waste, and creating learning spaces close to nature; meanwhile, Hue City is a bright spot in the urban movement to reduce plastic.

Hue students participate in collecting garbage, keeping the city environment green, clean and bright.

According to the Department of Education and Training of Hue City, since 2022, the Plastic-Reducing Schools model has been widely deployed throughout the city, attracting more than 180 schools with 54,000 students to participate. Of which, 83 pilot schools have collected nearly 30 tons of scrap, including more than 5.5 tons of plastic, contributing to significantly reducing the amount of waste released into the environment and forming green living habits among young people.

Hue students are excited about products recycled from waste.

This is considered an important foundation for Hue City to continue expanding the ASEAN Eco-School model - Plastic Waste Free School, aiming at the goal of comprehensive plastic reduction, improving the quality of environmental education, and affirming its position as a pioneering locality in sustainable development in the Central region.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Le Cong Thanh said that environmental education is not only the responsibility of schools but also the foundation for forming a green community.

“Spreading awareness of environmental protection and encouraging initiatives in teaching and learning is very important, towards a bright, green, clean and beautiful school community, contributing to the sustainable development goals of the country and the region,” Mr. Thanh noted.

Hue Youth Union members, students, and pupils joined forces to clean up and beautify the environment.

According to a 2022 survey, Hue City was among the coastal localities with the highest density of plastic waste pollution in the country, with an average of 141.1 plastic waste items per meter of coastline, surpassing both Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang . Notably, single-use plastics accounted for about 80% of the total amount of plastic waste at surveyed locations on rivers and coastal areas.

From that reality, Hue has proactively taken action, built a program to reduce plastic in schools and communities, contributing to changing awareness and behavior, so that each student and each school becomes the nucleus of a green, clean, bright, civilized and sustainable lifestyle. Up to now, Hue has become a leading locality in the movement to reduce plastic in schools and communities.