Vinh City youth are environmentally friendly by limiting the use of plastic straws.

Limiting the use of plastic straws is gradually becoming a good habit of many young people in Vinh city. Photo: Chu Thanh

Let's Do It Nghe An, a non-profit environmental organization run by young people in Nghe An, has become one of the pioneering clubs in limiting the use of plastic straws. Tran Thi Ngoc Linh, founder of Let's Do It Nghe An, said that since April 2018, the group has implemented activities to distribute free bamboo straws to many young people and cafes in Vinh city.

In big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, young people are very familiar with and support the use of bamboo straws. Meanwhile, young people in Vinh do not have this habit, so at first, it was quite difficult to convince people to use bamboo straws instead of convenient plastic straws, especially in coffee shops. Because compared to convenient disposable plastic straws, after using bamboo straws, coffee shops have to clean the straws again, dry them and then reuse them.

After more than 4 months of launching, Let's Do It Nghe An Club has put more than 500 environmentally friendly bamboo straws into use at coffee shops in Vinh city. Photo: NVCC

Therefore, after more than 4 months of launching, the Club has convinced 6 coffee shops in the city and dozens of young people to use more than 500 environmentally friendly bamboo straws instead of plastic straws.

“Initially, the members set the purpose of the program to introduce the habit of using bamboo straws to young people in Vinh. We are very happy that after this implementation, many young people know more about using bamboo straws and are more aware of limiting the use of plastic straws. Some people even proactively contacted the group to ask for bamboo straws, but because the quantity is limited, we cannot provide enough,” Ngoc Linh said.

According to Ngoc Linh, in the coming time, the Club will continue to implement other activities to help young people in Vinh city become more aware of limiting the use of plastic straws in particular and other plastic products in general.

Some coffee shops in Vinh have also begun to limit the use of plastic straws. Photo: Chu Thanh

As one of the few coffee shops in Vinh that chooses to use glass straws instead of plastic straws, Ms. Le Thi Dieu Linh, owner of a coffee shop on Le Loi Street, Vinh City, said that she has always been concerned about protecting the environment, so when she opened the shop, she decided to use glass straws.

Although the price of a glass straw is equal to a pack of plastic straws, according to Linh, in the long run, reusable glass straws are more economical. “After using glass straws, it is a bit troublesome to clean them, but I accepted and determined it from the beginning,” Linh shared.

Glass straws are carefully cleaned after each use. Photo: Chu Thanh

Hygiene is also a factor for her shop to consider using glass straws. According to Linh, disposable plastic straws currently sold on the market are not necessarily hygienic. Glass straws have separate cleaning tools and her shop always soaks them in boiling water for a while before reusing them. And many customers who come to the shop support the use of glass straws.

Limiting the use of plastic straws and replacing them with other types of straws such as bamboo straws and glass straws is becoming more and more popular among young people in Vinh city. This is a good sign of a change in awareness among a part of Vietnamese youth, especially in the context that Vietnam is the 4th country in the world with the amount of plastic waste in the ocean after China, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Chu Thanh