HCM CITY — For Vietnamese Stature Foundation and the Centre for Supporting Green Development have launched a contest for innovative environmental communication on the theme of reducing plastic waste.

PLASTIC TALK solicits short films, comics, posters, and podcasts with messages related to this theme from Vietnamese aged 16-30, and offers prizes worth VNĐ42 million (US$1,826).

They can send in their entries from now to August 31.

The contest is sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development, Bắc Á Bank, Tetra Pak Vietnam Joint Stock Company, and others.  

It seeks to raise awareness among young people and the community about reducing plastic waste, and encouraging practical actions for environmental protection.

A survey by the Centre for Supporting Green Development (GreenHub) in 10 coastal cities and provinces found 93.6 per cent of waste discharged into the environment is plastic.

The 10 most common types were soft pieces from plastic bags; pieces of net, lure, fishing lines, hard plastic buoys, floating foam buoys, and foam boxes; Styrofoam containers; hard plastic pieces; plastic straws; food packaging; packaging for confectionery products; and other plastics.

Nguyễn Thị Thu Trang, deputy director of GreenHub, said: "We hope that through various forms of communications, the message of reducing plastic wastes and securing Việt Nam's green development will be spread widely in the community. A greener Việt Nam will no longer be a dream.” — VNS