Community clean-up groups such as Keep Vietnam Clean, Hanoi Xanh, and Tagom, are inspiring hundreds of volunteers to keep Hanoi greener.

American national James Joseph Kendall gained widespread attention in 2016 after an image of him picking up trash alone in a foul-smelling canal in Hanoi began circulating online.

The image, which showed Kendall collecting metal rods, plastic sticks, plastic bags, milk cartons, and cans from the polluted canal, shocked people and inspired many to beautify their own communities.

Now, Kendall is no longer alone. Instead, he is joined by thousands of Vietnamese and foreign members from Keep Clean Vietnam (KCV) – a waste collection organization which works to pick up litter in Vietnam.

“Some 300 million metric tons of plastic waste is released globally every year, and only nine percent is recycled,” said KCV member Tue Minh.

“When buried or mixed into the soil, plastic waste can seep into water sources, which may increase the risk of cancer."

In early 2024, KCV partnered with other organizations to host an environmental documentary film week in major cinemas across Vietnam, as part of a call for action on environmental issues, particularly global warming and increasing volumes of waste. 

The event was held at several local universities, as well as the Czech, U.S., and Italian Embassies in Hanoi.

Environmental protection groups

Aside from KCV, groups such as Hanoi Xanh (Green Hanoi) and Tagom gather young people in the Vietnamese capital to work toward creating a greener environment.

"I was born and raised next to the To Lich River, so I felt heartbroken when I saw the water in the river change color [due to pollution],” said Nguyen Tien Huy, 29.  

Seeing the polluted river inspired Huy and three of his friends to form Hanoi Xanh in November 2022. 

The group, which works to revitalize the river, currently has over 500 members and has cleaned more than 100 polluted areas along Hanoi’s rivers, collecting approximately 2,000 metric tons of waste. About 10 percent of that waste was plastic.

With his passion and enthusiasm, he has been connecting young people at youth centers and universities to Hanoi Xanh.

Over 800 volunteers have joined a recent clean-up under the Long Bien Bridge.

Even more astonishing is the fact that over 80 percent of the areas cleaned by Hanoi Xanh remain free from litter long after the group has finished.

“Awareness of the harmful effects of waste on people living along rivers and canals has improved, but plastic waste is still a pressing concern,” Huy said.

Hanoi Xanh plans to deploy floating barriers to facilitate waste collection and prevent floating trash from being missed. 

It will also distribute bamboo shopping baskets to local residents to help reduce plastic waste.

Tagom, another local clean up group, puts its focus on hazardous waste.

Since 2022, Tagom’s members have been collecting difficult-to-dispose-of and hazardous waste such as batteries, light bulbs, glass, plastic, and foam, and delivering it to specialized treatment facilities.

“We hope that the community will recycle and collect waste and reduce the use of items that are hazardous to the environment,” said Thuy Linh, co-founder of Tagom.

Currently, Tagom has over 10 business partners and 1,000 members, handling more than a metric ton of hazardous waste each month.

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