The school board of management said that no disposable plastic cup and straw had been used at the school’s meetings since May 5.

Since May 15, 2019, officers and lecturers at the school have used private water jugs for drinking water. As for students, the school has called on them not to use disposable plastic products.

It is estimated that the school discharges 125,000 plastic bottles a year after events, meetings and conferences.

Nguyen Thi Dieu Linh, a lecturer at HCM City Open University, said most lecturers and officers have been using private cups for a long time, before the new decision was released.

“I have been saying ‘no’ to plastic packages. I bring a water jug to school and I don’t feel any inconvenience doing this,” she said. “When I buy food for breakfast, I refuse plastic bags from sellers and will put my breakfast into my box.”

The educator said the success of the movement of saying ‘no’ to plastic bags and disposable plastic products will depend on the will of users. Once users refuse plastic bags, sellers will have to find another solution.

Vu Huu Duc, vice rector of HCM City Open University, said school has to spend VND90 million on water and private cups for teachers and officers, a ‘reasonable cost’.

Meanwhile, Thu Dung, a student, doubts the feasibility of the plan to stop using disposable plastic products. “Plastic straws and bottles of water are too familiar to people, so it will be difficult to change their habits.”

“When you buy water, you will be given water in plastic bottles,” she said. However, Dung said she does not use plastic bags and disposable plastic products.

Some days ago, the HCM City Food Industry University released a notice prohibiting students, lecturers and officers from using disposable plastic straws and cups in the school. Nearly 1,000 students committed not to use the plastic products on May 11, 2019.

A report found that if every Vietnamese uses one less plastic bag a day, the number of plastic bags to be used within one year would be reduced by 94 million bags, or 450 tons, a year.

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Le Huyen