The project “Developing and Implementing a Roadmap for Reducing Single-Use Plastic” at four schools in Sơn Trà District, Da Nang City has officially kicked off!
Last week, from September 9th to 13th, the Capacity Building for Climate Adaptation Research Center (CAB) conducted baseline surveys at Vanh Kuyen Kindergarten, Quang Trung Primary School, Nguyen Chi Thanh Secondary School, and Son Tra High School. The aim was to assess the current state of plastic waste management at these schools.
Except for preschoolers, a total of 218 staff, teachers, and 1,655 students participated in Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) surveys on single-use plastics. Meanwhile, 28 staff, teachers, and 45 students took part in 4 waste audits, each lasting 5 days at each school, and 31 teachers and 24 students took part in 5 focus group discussions. Two more focus group discussions at Quang Trung Primary School are scheduled for next week.
Some Findings from the Survey Activities:
- 3% of teachers and staff and 83.7% of students were unaware of the raw materials used to make plastic.
- 3% of teachers and staff and 50.2% of students think that plastic waste only affects the environment, not the climate, or were unsure of the impact.
- 5% of teachers and staff and 75% of students think hat disposing of waste in bins for garbage trucks to collect is an effective solution to reduce single-use plastic waste.
- 8% of teachers and staff and 91.3% of students would follow the school’s recommendations if it encouraged the elimination of single-use plastics.
- 144 single-use plastic bottles, 325 plastic cups, 60 plastic spoons and forks, and hundreds of straws, plastic bags, and milk cartons are the daily plastic waste generated by one of the four schools.
- 17 kg of plastic waste is the amount produced daily by the school with the highest plastic waste output among the four schools.
422 liters of waste, of which 320 liters of plastic waste, is the volume of waste from the school with the highest daily waste generation.
