Hoi An, December 4, 2024. Vietnam is one of the top 10 plastic-polluting countries in the world. More than 8,000 pieces of plastic waste are generated every day. There needs to be an effort to overcome this plastic waste problem properly, one of which is through a reuse system. Responding to this urgency, Dietplastik Indonesia as one of the originators of the Asia Reuse Consortium, together with Pacific Environment in Vietnam and Refillables Dong Day organized the Reuse Tour and Conference Vietnam 2024. The event was attended by various stakeholders to share experiences and learn about the reuse system in Vietnam. The Reuse Tour and Conference Vietnam also gave birth to the ‘Vietnam Reuse Hub’ consisting of business and community groups highlighting reuse to reduce single-use plastic waste in the tourism sector.
“We want to come together with stakeholders across Vietnam to learn reuse-related experiences from Indonesia and also share best practices that we have done in Vietnam. After this workshop, we hope to build cooperation on reuse. We will discuss strategies and action plans for the reuse network and collaborate and work together to implement actions for a larger reuse system in Vietnam.” said Xuan Quach, Country Director of Pacific Environment Vietnam.
To demonstrate the practice of reuse with products that are needed by all levels of society, the Reuse Tour and Conference Vietnam had the opportunity to visit Diamond Rain, a bottled water refill business that uses glass bottles, where its products can be purchased at all convenience stores in Hoi An.
“Diamond Rain strives for awareness by understanding the benefits of public health, consumers, and combating climate change. We are gradually changing awareness to create value for Diamond Rain’s ION alkaline glass bottled drinking water products, contributing to protecting the environment and leading an eco-friendly lifestyle. Any returned glass packaging will get cash back, which can be obtained at the place of purchase of the packaging.” xxx as xxx Diamond Rain.
In addition to visiting Diamond Rain, the Reuse Tour and Conference Vietnam participants also had the opportunity to see first-hand businesses that have implemented reuse models that can be applied in the tourism sector. The sector was obtained from a visit to Hoi An Express, which is one of the travel businesses that provides an example of not providing bottled minerals and replacing them with glass cups as welcome drinks, as well as providing fabric for making clothes for visitors who use Hoi An Express services as an incentive.
Another tourism sector visited at this event was An Villa. An Villa is one of the hotels that use products for refillable soap and shampoo, minerals that use glass packaging, loofah, and dish soap in each room to support reuse solutions for each visitor who brings reusable containers for eating and drinking.
The Reuse Tour and Conference activity was closed with the inauguration of the Reuse Protocol in the Tourism Sector which symbolizes the commitment of stakeholders in Vietnam to continue to support the reuse system in the tourism sector so that Vietnam can become a pioneer of tourism with sustainable principles. It is hoped that the Reuse Tour and Conference Vietnam can inspire the reuse movement in Southeast Asia to be more serious in implementing reuse systems in each country, not only in the food and beverage service sector but also in the tourism sector.
