Single use syringes

Authorities on Co To Island off Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam announced a pilot program to ban visitors from bringing plastic products onto the island starting September in an attempt to spur sustainable tourism. Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper last week, Nguyen Viet Dung, chairman of the Co To District People’s Committee, said the trial to forbid visitors from bringing plastic bottles, plastic bags, and materials carrying a risk of environmental pollution will last for several months. Local authorities will then move toward the official implementation of this regulation since the island district's basic services are now completely prepared to accommodate the needs of tourists. “All of the island district's services and facilities are now fully accessible, but many tourists still bring single-use plastic products, putting a great deal of environmental strain on Co To,” Dung said. He added that in order to effectively implement this regulation, Co To District … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s Co To Island to ban single-use plastic from next month

From September 1 they will be required to leave plastic behind before they get on ferries at Van Don Wharf to go to the island, according to the district's portal. Nguyen Viet Dung, chairman of the district, said the ban would be trialed for a few months before it becomes official. With the target of turning the island into an eco-tourism destination and make tourism sustainable, authorities have in recent years called on local people to limit the use of plastic products and opt for environment-friendly replacements. The island district has yet to impose a ban on local residents using plastic products. Situated around 80 kilometers from the mainland, Co To is famous for its pristine islets and primeval forests and access used to be strictly controlled due to its proximity to the Chinese border. Cu Lao Cham, or Cham Islands, a protected area treasured for its biosphere near Hoi An in central Vietnam, has prohibited visitors from bringing plastic bags since 2009. … [Read more...] about Vietnam tourist island to ban single-use plastics

Blockchain technology underpins crypto and has been hailed as a world-changing innovation, but does it have any use beyond creating speculative financial instruments? Has blockchain found a use beyond crypto trading?, (photo:freepik.com) AFP asked crypto critic Stephen Diehl, author of recently published "Popping the Crypto Bubble", to run the rule over some of the most popular claims made for blockchain technology. - More secure voting? - As tension and confusion engulfed the United States after the 2020 election, Changpeng Zhao, billionaire founder of crypto firm Binance, had a suggestion. A "blockchain-based mobile voting app", he tweeted, would mean "we won't have to wait for results, or have any questions on its validity". Fellow crypto billionaire Vitalik Buterin replied that there were "significant challenges" but he thought it was "directionally 100 percent correct". So far, experiments have been very small scale. For Diehl, blockchain was more likely … [Read more...] about Has blockchain found a use beyond crypto trading?

Paper straws and glass cups are now used at all restaurants and outlets on the island instead of plastic ones. With a wide range of rare and valuable flora and fauna, the island was recognised as a world biosphere by UNESCO in 2009. Since then, islanders have paid due regard to cutting the consumption of single-use plastic bags . Most recently, dozens of business households signed a commitment to use environmentally-friendly products rather than plastic products. As part of efforts to minimise the impact of tourism on the island, local authorities have limited the number of daily arrivals to 3,000. They have also worked closely with travel companies to develop eco-tourism products and promote the “Cham Island says no to plastic waste by 2025” project. Zero waste ” tour is to be piloted shortly, offering visitors a kaleidoscope of experiences in local culture and waste treatment processes. The two-day, one-night tour is expected to raise awareness about environmental … [Read more...] about Cham Island striving to become plastic-waste-free tourism site

The model is expected to be gradually replicated in other entertainment venues in the city after its initial success. The Phu Quoc District People’s Committee and WWF-Vietnam launched a model project of reducing plastic waste at tourist destinations, as part of the drive to become a plastic-free island. The launch of tourist trash cans is expected to encourage the habit of sorting and disposing of garbage on-site. Photo: VOV Under the project, there are 12 sets of tourist trash cans and two public drinking water fountains have been made available in some venues on the island, of which four trash cans were installed in Dinh Cau Temple and Bach Dang Park, and another eight were placed in Tran Hung Dao Street, Duong Dong Ward, with a total cost of nearly VND800 million (US$34,296) sponsored by WWF-Vietnam. Dinh Cau Temple and Bach Dang Park are among the most favorite destinations for tourists and locals, so these places receive the largest amount of single-use … [Read more...] about Phu Quoc, WWF-Vietnam launch plastic waste reduction model at tourist destinations

Besides assessing business performance, a growing number of institutional and individual investors are taking into account the ESG criteria before making an investment decision. ESG requires businesses to be transparent about their environmental, social, and governance performance, including their contributions to local economies. On August 10, Masan Group , the only local enterprise with integration from production to retail, was honoured by Nhip Cau Dau Tu Magazine among the 50 firms in its Corporate Sustainability Awards. The award was finalised after more than two months of survey and evaluation based on criteria such as stable growth, sustainable corporate culture, corporate governance, environmental protection, and social responsibility. A representative of Nhip Cau Dau Tu Magazine said, “The development of awareness about systemic issues such as climate change, disease risks, resource depletion, and inequality has promoted the investment trends based on ESG criteria … [Read more...] about Masan honoured among top 50 businesses at Corporate Sustainability Awards