All residents and tourists are banned from bringing single-use plastic products on Co To Island off Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam from Friday.

Co To Island District has issued the ban a year after a pilot program was launched to forbid visitors from carrying plastic bottles, plastic bags, and materials bearing a risk of environmental pollution on the island.

Container vessels and cruise ships are subject to the ban. 

The district has also set up an inspection team to check the compliance with the regulation.

The move is aimed at building a habit of saying no to plastic, and stopping plastic pollution on the island.

As per the prohibition, administrative agencies, schools, and tourism service providers in the island district must not use plastic bags and single-use plastic items.

Individuals and organizations will be sanctioned if they are found littering in public places and using products threatening the environment on the island.

Co To District welcomes some 6,000 - 8,000 travelers each year, reported the Vietnam News Agency.

Before the pilot program was executed, the district’s sanitation firm collected up to 17 metric tons of waste daily during the peak travel season.

A representative of the Co To District administration said that the pilot program of banning plastic was wholeheartedly supported by locals and tourists.

The island saw a significant decrease in plastic waste, helping improve the marine ecosystem.

Many dolphins, turtles, and seagulls have entered the waters off the island.

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