All residents and tourists have been banned from bringing single-use plastic products to five islet communes off Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam from Saturday. 

The administration of Van Don Island District has issued the ban on both locals and travelers bringing single-use plastic items to five islets of the district, namely Quan Lan, Minh Chau, Ngoc Vung, Thang Loi, and Ban Sen, with effect from April 27.

Tourists and residents are encouraged to use recycled, environmentally-friendly products to replace plastic bags and other containers.

The 'Say No to Single-Use Plastic Products' program has been launched by Van Don authorities on the occasion of the Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers’ Day (May 1) holiday, aiming to raise awareness among the public about the adverse effects of plastic waste pollution on the environment and human health.

The program also calls on people to actively change behaviors and habits of utilizing single-use plastic products and containers, thereby contributing to minimizing environmental pollution, safeguarding the ecosystem, and developing a sustainable tourism industry.

At Ao Tien international passenger port, located in Van Don’s Cai Rong Town, and the wharves in the five islet communes, billboards and posters with the theme 'Do Not Bring Plastic Waste to Islets' have been installed to deter all passengers from bringing any plastic waste to the islets.

To make the program a success, the Van Don administration called for support from tourist firms, shipping lines, and travel associations.

With the total land area of over 580 square kilometers, Van Don is striving to fulfill its targets to cut 50 percent and 100 percent of plastic waste in the five communes by 2025 and 2030, respectively.

Nestled among Bai Tu Long Bay, adjacent to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site off Quang Ninh, Van Don Island has many advantages to developing tourism.

On September 15 last year, Co To Island District of the same province also officially prohibited travelers from bringing single-use plastic products there after a year of piloting such forbiddance. 

Experts have deemed such prohibitions by Co To and Van Don as their efforts to transform local tourist attractions into green and environmentally-friendly destinations.

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