Community based plastic waste management in sam son, thanh hoa province

The change in awareness and behavior of participants regarding to plastic waste pollution in Sam Son after the project .... This study was conducted to assess the changes of awareness, a

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VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF FORESTRY FOREST RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FACULTY

STUDENT THESIS

IN SAM SON, THANH HOA PROVINCE

Major: Advanced Cirriculum in Natural Resources Management

Code: D850101

Faculty: Forest Resources & Environmental Management

Student: Bui Thi Huong Student ID: 1553090580

Class: K60 Natural Resources Management Course: 2015 – 2019

Advanced Education Program Developed in Collaboration with Colorado State University, USA

Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Tran Thi Thu Ha

Hanoi, 2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDEMENTS i

ABTRACT ii

1 INTRODUCTION 1

2 LITERATURE REVIEW 3

2.1 Rationale for community-based plastic waste management 3

2.2 Current situation of community-based plastic waste management in Vietnam 7

3 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 9

3.1 Goals 9

3.2 Objectives 9

4 SITE DESCRIPTION 10

5 METHODOLOGIES 15

5.1 Collecting data 15

5.1.1 Secondary data collection 15

5.1.2 Primary data collection 15

5.2 Data analysis 17

5.2.1 Descriptive statistic 17

6 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 18

6.1 The pollution situation and plastic waste management in Sam Son 18

6.2 The change in awareness and behavior of participants regarding to plastic

waste pollution in Sam Son after the project 23

6.2.1 The description of the respondents 23

6.2.2 Local authorities 24

6.2.3 Local people 25

6.2.4 Students and pupils 32

6.3 Proposing a model of community-based plastic waste management in Sam Son 36

6.4 Recommendations to improve the model operation 42

7 CONCLUSION 46

REFERENCES 48

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3.1 Geographic location of Sam Son 10 Figure 6.1 Trung Son landfill 21 Figure 6.2 Activities of the program “Let's clean the sea in 2019” in Sam Son 25 Figure 6.3 The change in knowledge about plastic waste after project 26 Figure 6.4 The using of plastic products compared to before joining the project 27 Figure 6.5 Plastic waste treatment of households 29 Figure 6.6 Willingness to participate in community-based plastic waste

management model of respondents 32 Figure 6.7 The using of plastic products compared to before joining the project 34 Figure 6.8 Management model diagram 38

LIST OF TABLES

Table 5.1 SWOT analysis 18 Table 6.1 Composition of waste in Sam Son 19 Table 6.2 Description of respondents 24 Table 6.3 The number of plastic bags and bottles that respondents have been using every single week 28 Table 6.4 The frequency of reflection with environmental issues to the local authorities 31 Table 6.6 The number of plastic bags and bottles that respondents have been using every single week 35 Table 6.7 SWOT analysis of the model 40

ACKNOWLEDEMENTS

I would like to express my very great appreciation to Assoc Prof Dr Tran Thi Thu Ha, my research supervisor, for her enthusiastic encouragements and useful critiques of this research work Without her thoughtful, patient guidance through every step of my research, this thesis could not have been realized Thanks to cooperating between Vietnam National University of Forestry and Colorado State University, I have chance to approach a reservoir of international knowledge and experience

I would like to extend my thanks to U.S Embassy in Hanoi for valuable sponsorship about funding and human resources to help me implement the project

“Protecting Sam Son from plastic waste pollution” This project helps me a lot in completing my research I would also like to thank to The Centre for Supporting Green Development – GreenHub as a great strategic partner in my project Moreover, I highly appreciate to Ms Jen Vuhuong - Founder of Empower Leaders Academy and Empower You seminar in Bristol, the UK; Ms Ha Ngan Ha - Expert from The Green Support and Development Center – GreenHub and Mrs Tran Mai Anh Phuong - Coordinator of “Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI)” in 2018, Cultural Affairs Officer, U.S Embassy in Hanoi for the great support Without them,

my project would be very difficult to succeed

I also want to express my gratitude to local authorities and local people in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province for supporting me carried out survey questionnaires and group discussion, followed by me with useful information about Sam Son

ABTRACT

Plastic waste reduction is one of the biggest challenges that people have to solve to protect the environment The fight against plastic waste requires all stakeholders to participate And the community is one of the most important factors It

is necessary to have a community-based plastic waste management model at the local Sam Son is one of the most beautiful coastal cities of Vietnam Every year, it attracts millions of tourists However, in recent years, Sam Son influenced seriously by plastic waste pollution One of my projects “Protecting Sam Son from plastic waste pollution” was implemented here with the sponsorship of U.S Embassy in Hanoi It has raised awareness of local people about plastic waste pollution and helped them know how to classify trash in their house

This study was conducted to assess the changes of awareness, attitude and behavior of local people regarding to plastic waste pollution in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa

province after the implementation of the project “Protecting Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province from plastic waste pollution”, thereby propose solutions to minimize

pollution and build a model of community-based plastic waste management in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province The model of community-based plastic waste management has been applied in many places but due to different socio-economic conditions in different localities, these models are also different to suit the local conditions This study will also investigate and consider the natural, residential and social conditions of Sam Son to make recommendations on an appropriate model

Vietnam is one of Asia’s five worst polluters of ocean plastic waste, according

to international organizations With 13 million tones of waste released to the ocean every year, the country ranks 17th in the world for ocean plastic waste pollution [3] The report of the Ocean Conservancy in 2015 also showed the same conclusion: 60 percent of ocean plastic waste came from China, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines

and Vietnam [4] People in coastal fishing villages of Vietnam began suffering from plastic waste even before scientists gave warnings In Vietnam, the coastal line provides livelihood for millions as well as food security for the whole country [3] But many recent studies have pointed out a scary prediction that if no action is taken, there will be more trash than fish in the ocean by 2050 [4]

Sam Son is located 16 kilometers east of Thanh Hoa city It is granted by the nature with a beautiful beach lying at the foot of Truong Le Mountain This place is also rich in cultural features with various traditional festivals Sam Son boasts its legendary beauty of several historical buildings and natural landscapes together with the folk legends which link the past with the present and one of the most beautiful beaches in North Vietnam Every year, it attracts millions of tourists However, in recent years, Sam Son influenced seriously by plastic waste pollution The visitors are disturbed by rubbish and foul odor in the beaches Sadly, from a promising land like Sam Son soon will become a place of absenteeism, poverty, stagnation if this problem

is not resolved [5]

Plastic waste pollution in Sam Son almost comes from poor consumption habits, the sense of maintaining environmental hygiene is still poor and there is no effective connection between the government and the people in the protection activities environment The awareness and participation of the community in reducing

plastic waste pollution is very important One of my projects, “Protecting Sam Son from plastic waste pollution” was implemented here with the sponsorship of U.S

Embassy in Hanoi It has created positive values in raising awareness and changing behavior for local people related to the reduction of plastic waste pollution Therefore,

I proceed to carry out the research: “Community-based plastic waste management

in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province” This research will assess the change of

awareness, attitude and behavior of local people regarding to plastic waste pollution after the project, thereby propose solutions to minimize pollution and build a model of community-based plastic waste management in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Rationale for community-based plastic waste management

There are many different concepts about the community Normally, a community is understood as a collection of people who share a common history, have

a common area of residence, have the same laws and regulations or gather a group of people with similar socio-economic characteristics society and culture

Another concept is that the community is a group of people with similar interests and interests, having the same geographical area, having the same language (or type of language) and having similar characteristics

Currently in our country, the term community has been used quite popularly in economic and social life A community may be a small population group (for example,

a community in a village, a commune, a community of people who recycle waste in a village, a commune, etc.) or it may be a community of people one ethnic group, many ethnic groups share the same similarities (Vietnamese community in foreign countries, international community in French-speaking countries, community of ASEAN countries )

In Vietnam, the following community organizations are currently available:

- Community organizations established in accordance with the law on associations, such as unions, general associations, unions, associations, clubs

- Community organizations in the form of self-governing groups such as villages, communes, project groups, residential groups these organizations have no laws establishing or banning establishment

- Community organizations established in accordance with legal provisions on economy and cooperation such as: cooperative groups and cooperatives

 Concept of community participation

There are many different understandings about community participation: Community development is a positive process in which the community influences the direction and implementation of development projects to enhance their welfare in terms of income, personal development, personal beliefs or values different that they desire

Canadian International Development Association (CIDA)'s concept of community participation is to attract target groups to the stages of the project cycle from project design, implementation and evaluation with the aim of building the capacity of the poor to maintain the infrastructure and results the project has produced during implementation, and continue to grow after the donor organization or agency withdraws from the project This approach is used quite commonly in projects and fields in the world

 The role of the community in waste economy

` The role of the community and its participation in waste economics is reflected in the following aspects:

Firstly, the complexity and diversity of many aspects of waste economy need

to mobilize the participation of many people and enhance the responsibility of everyone in society, regardless of their subjects The generation of waste is not only in

production, business and other activities but also in daily activities On average, the amount of domestic waste accounts for 50-70% of the total waste of a local or national, all people are involved in the process of generating this waste under different levels Activities related to sorting at source or transporting waste also attract many different target groups: the housewives in the family, the group of scavengers, the group of people who collect rubbish in the residential areas , village / commune, group of people of Urban Environment Company

Secondly, the community ensures the sustainable management of waste because they have knowledge about where to live and work They understand the specific characteristics, conditions as well as cultural and social issues in the area, understand the needs as well as existing facilities of local waste management community participation decisions will become grounded in practice and provide a basis for the feasibility of waste management decisions

Thirdly, community organizations encourage and legalize individual participation in all stages of integrated waste management and bring about economic and social benefits

 Principles in community-based plastic waste management

- The boundary must be clearly defined

- There is a balance between cost and benefit

- Consult the community

- Under the supervision of the community

- Clear reward and punishment

- Recognize organization's rights

 Planning to involve the community in plastic waste management

Planning for community participation is done through the following steps:

Identify options or activities that engage the community

Projects or activities that attract community participation are usually projects

or activities associated with public works or projects with common interests and responsibilities of many stakeholders in the community or related projects to community financial mobilization, to community commitment

Identify stages of community participation

Community participation is divided into 4 stages:

Project or operational planning phase: At this stage, community participation includes the contribution of local government opinions and survey information, identification of goodwill and level of community participation

Preparation phase of a feasible project or activity plan: Communities can play

an active role in project planning and design through input contributions

Project implementation phase or activity: Community roles range from consultation to accountability for project management, progress monitoring or technical oversight

Phase after project completion: The role of the community is to maintain the project's activities or results through funding or material contributions to ensure project continuity

Identify key community groups mobilized into the project or activity

Local community groups playing a key role in sorting, collecting, transporting and recycling activities are usually: Women's Unions, Neighborhoods, Youth Union, Fatherland Front, Community of People garbage collection, recycling household community, recycling business community

2.2 Current situation of community-based plastic waste management in Vietnam

Vietnam

The local community is a source of opinions for the State's guidelines and policies and investment projects Local policy, community local community is also the basis for socializing environmental protection, implementing the policy of people know, people discuss, people do, people inspect and promote democracy from the grassroots

Several cities in Vietnam are conducting community programs focusing on waste collection, through which the population groups, cooperatives, and private enterprises are responsible for collecting waste garbage collection These activities are often carried out in fast-growing suburbs but lack the services supported by Urban Environment Companies For example, in Da Nang, the group "For the homeland's blue sea" was formed to carry out activities to clean the coast

Cases of community participation in waste collection in Thach Kim, Thach Ha,

Ha Tinh:

Thach Kim is a coastal commune whose main business is fishing, processing seafood, building and repairing boats, mechanical machines, and trading services Average income per capita annually reaches VND 1.6 million / person However, at present, the number of households in the poverty line of the commune still accounts for 17.6% and the annual population growth rate is 1.4%

Due to the characteristics of this production, the people here are faced with the fact that the living environment is increasingly polluted On average, each person

emits 0.4 kg of waste a day, 120 tons of waste are discharged every month Not to mention the large amount of waste from seafood processing, grease and waste in the process of serving production and business

In order to solve pressing local environmental issues, the initiative to set up a specialized sanitation team was accepted by the Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee and the people the environmental sanitation team has 9 people, every day averagely working a shift continuously from 5 am to 8 pm, collecting waste, sorting for treatment, and transporting to the dumping ground

The commune draws the participation of the community in this program, starting with raising the awareness of the community about its duties and rights in environmental sanitation

 Problems in plastic waste management activities in the community in Vietnam

The community is still limited in participating in planning and monitoring activities in projects, sometimes with the opinion of the people but it is only a formality, while the participation of contributions and voices the people's attention has not been paid enough attention

The sustainability of community participation is not high, after the project is completed, after the donors leave the project, the effectiveness of the project is significantly reduced, even in many project areas also went bankrupt due to lack of regular supervision of government agencies and lack of timely support

The coordination of local authorities with community organizations has not been institutionalized, and the way of doing things has also greatly influenced the participation of the community The role of local authorities has not been clearly

shown, and local authorities lack understanding of how to mobilize community participation, so the implementation is confusing and results are limited

3 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

3.1 Goals

The general goal of the research is to promote community-based management

to minimize plastic waste pollution in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province

3.2 Objectives

The objectives of the research are as follows:

(1) To investigate the pollution situation and plastic waste management in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province;

(2) To assess the changes of awareness, attitude and behavior of local people regarding to plastic waste pollution in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province after the implementation of the project “Protecting Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province from plastic waste pollution”;

(3) To propose solutions to minimize pollution and build a model of community-based plastic waste management in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province

4 SITE DESCRIPTION

The research was conducted in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province It is a coastal borough in the east of Thanh Hoa, 16 km from the center of Thanh Hoa City This place has been a famous spot for tourism in Vietnam since the beginning of the previous century, when the French begun to build facilities there to serve themselves

Figure 3.1 Geographic location of Sam Son

(Source: Google Earth)

Sam Son Borough has a long and beautiful beach reaching more than 16km in length The very flat and gentle sandbank, combined with the clean and blue water makes the scenery of Sam Son beach magnificent and attractive Visitors will have some unforgettable moments when they wallow in the cool blue sea, listen to songs of the wave and the wind, and take a nap on the sunlight sandbanks or build sand castles Also, this is a good place to try various local seafood varieties such as shrimps, crabs, fishes and also to bring back home some nice souvenirs

The natural area is about 45 km²; Hoang Hoa district (Ma river as a natural boundary) to the North, Quang Xuong district to the South, the Tonkin Gulf to the East and Thanh Hoa city to the West The population in 2019 is 172,350 people

Sam Son lies on the alluvial plain, the height is less than 50 meters Breeding is not focused, only chickens on a small scale Sam Son people are mainly Kinh people

Sam Son city has 11 administrative units, including 8 wards: Bac Son, Quang Chau, Quang Cu, Quang Tho, Quang Tien, Quang Vinh, Trung Son, Truong Son and 3 communes: Quang Dai, Quang Hung, Quang Minh

This research focuses on Bac Son ward and Trung Son ward because the beaches of Sam Son beach are most concentrated in these wards And they are also one

of the wards most severely affected by plastic waste in Sam Son, according to Statistics of Sam Son Urban Environment and Tourism Service Joint Stock Company

in 2018

Topographic characteristics

Sam Son terrain is divided into 4 distinct area:

- Mangrove tidal zone: consists of low-lying land on the banks of the Do river stretching from Truong Le sluice to Ma river and Quang Cu submerged tidal zone This is a lowland area with average height of 0.5 - 1.5 meters Since the Truong Le dam was built, the lowland area on the banks of the Do River is being sweetened gradually Currently this region is growing low-yield rice, aquaculture, lotus

- High dune area: including urban area, stretching from the foot of Truong Le Mountain to the south bank of Ma River The terrain here is relatively flat, sloping gently from East to West about 1.5 - 2%, on average from 2.5 to 4.5 meters,

convenient for building hotels, motels, centers administrative and residential areas, area about 700 ha

- Coastal area: including the eastern area of Ho Xuan Huong street from the foot of Doc Cuoc temple (Truong Son ward) extending to the end of Quang Cu commune This is a smooth, soft sand band, gradually sloping into the sea in accordance with the requirements of the beach (slope of 2 - 5%), an area of about 150

ha, 200 meters wide

- Highland Including the entire Truong Le mountain, close to the sea, an average height of about 50 meters, the highest peak reaches 76 meters, with steep cliffs toward the sea creating the grandeur of Truong Le mountain, very suitable for types of mountain climbing and adventure tourism In addition, there are wide lawns and comfortable slopes suitable for camping, entertainment

Sam Son's geological base is quite good, the load-bearing intensity of the soil is high, reaching 1-2 kg / cm2, particularly in the area near Truong Le mountain, it is over 2 kg / cm2, very good for constructing works

Climate characteristics

Sam Son is located in the Northern climate region of Vietnam, belonging to the tropical monsoon climate region with cold winters The climate is divided into two distinct seasons: hot, humid summers, heavy rainfall and cold winters with little rain

Thermal regime: Sam Son has a relatively high temperature regime, with an annual average temperature of about 23°C The average summer temperature (May - September) is 25°C, the hottest month temperatures up to 40°C; the average winter temperature (from December last year to March next year) is 200C, the coldest month can drop to 5°C The total year cumulative sum is about 8.6000 C; hours of sunshine

are high, an average of 1700 hours / year The month with the highest number of sunshine hours (July) is 225 hours, the month with the lowest number of sunshine hours (February) is 46 hours

Wind regime: Sam Son is influenced by two main types of wind: the northeast monsoon and the southwest monsoon Northeast monsoon usually occurs in winter (from November to February next year), on average, there are about 30 northeast monsoon winds with cold air each year, causing the temperature to drop from 5 – 10°C compared to Average annual temperature In summer (from March to November), the prevailing wind is the Southeast, bringing with it water vapor causing heavy rain Particularly in early summer, hot and dry West winds (Lao winds) often appear, greatly affecting the production and life of the people

Rainfall regime: The rainfall in Sam Son is quite large, an average of 1600 -

1900 mm, but it is not evenly distributed between the two seasons In the dry season (from December to April next year), the rainfall is very small, accounting for only 15% of the annual rainfall, whereas the rainy season (from May to November) concentrates up to 85% of the annual rainfall Most precipitation is in August, with annual rainfall approaching 900 mm In addition, during this season, there are usually thunderstorms and storms accompanied by heavy rain causing local flooding

Tidal regime: The tide in Sam Son area has a diurnal tide regime In summer, the tide rises at 7 am and drops at 14-16 pm; winter is back down at 6-9 hours is up at 14-16 hours The average tidal range is about 1.2 to 1.6 meters, the highest being 2 to 2.5 meters Such tidal regime is suitable for swimming activities

In short, the climate in Sam Son has a clear seasonal divide, but due to the harmonizing effect of the sea, the climate is relatively pleasant, cool in summer, less

cold in winter, quite suitable for bathing, visiting, resting and suitable for the growth

of many plants and animals

The main natural resources

Tourism resources are the most dominant advantage of Sam Son: Sam Son has

very diverse and diverse tourism potentials, including natural tourism and humanistic tourism resources This is the most outstanding advantage of Sam Son, which is a very favorable condition to develop many types of attractive tourism such as sea tourism, mountain tourism, cultural-historical tourism, eco-tourism, spiritual tourism…

from Cua Hoi to Vu Tien (Vu Ngoc) Sam Son's coastal and coastal areas and its surrounding areas have abundant and diversified marine resources, giving Sam Son a great advantage in exploiting seafood The main fishing grounds include:

The floating fishing ground from Nghe An to the North has reserves of about 12,000 - 15,000 tons, mainly mistake and herring (accounting for 40-50%); the rest are scad, anchovies, flat fish The ability to exploit about 6,000-7,000 tons / year

The floating fishing area of Lach Hoi - Southeast Hon Me has reserves of 15,000 - 20,000 tons, mainly mistake fish, herring and scad (60-70%), the rest are mackerel, cheeks The ability to exploit 7,000 - 10,000 tons / year

Bottom fishing grounds south of Hon Me island to Lach Ghep and Lach Hoi - Southeast of Me

About sea shrimp: There are two main shrimp yards: Hon Ne - Lach Ghep and Lach Bang - Lach Quen shrimp yards These are high-yield shrimp beaches in the Tonkin Gulf region The annual exploiting capacity is about 1,000 - 1,300 tons, of which mainly shrimp, iron shrimp and more than 7,000 tons of sea mussels

About squid: The waters of Thanh Hoa and surrounding areas have very rich squid resources with reserves of 13,000 - 14,000 tons; The annual exploiting capacity

is about 5,000-6,000 tons, of which about 3,000-4,000 tons of squid and 1,500-2,000 tons of cuttlefish

In addition, the coastal and coastal areas also have many other specialties of high economic value and are very popular on domestic and foreign markets such as snail, jellyfish, lobster, crab,

5 METHODOLOGIES

5.1 Collecting data

5.1.1 Secondary data collection

Secondary data were collected from Sam Son Urban Environment Management Department and Tourism Service Joint Stock Company on geographic condition, economic condition, social condition (especially demographic data), plastic waste

pollution (status and causes) Other information from books, newspapers and

published materials were supplemented to the sources of data

5.1.2 Primary data collection

With a view to accessing the change of awareness, attitude and behavior of

local community after the implementation of the project “Protecting Sam Son, Thanh

Hoa province from plastic waste pollution” in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province, I will

conduct survey by using both structured and semi-structured interview in an effort to gather large amounts of information from numerous residents in a community in terms

of specific topic in a relatively short period of time

5.1.2.1 Structured interview

Using questionnaire based on list of participants who participated in the project (Based on address; cell phone; email;…that they registered when they checked in) There are 180 participants who took part in the project (including local authorities; local people; students from Hong Duc University; pupils from Bac Son Secondary School and Bac Son High School)

 A sample size: 15 local authorities Selected sample randomly out of 20 local authorities in the list

 A sample size: 55 local people Selected sample randomly out of 84 local people in the list

 A sample size: 50 students from Hong Duc University and pupils from Bac Son Secondary School and Bac Son High School Selected sample randomly out of 76 people in the list

5.1.2.2 Semi-structured interview

Containing opened-ended questions It also allow respondents to discuss and raise issues from context of participant’s experiences about plastic waste pollution associated with local behavior and attitude, followed by providing reliable, comparable qualitative data 15 people were interviewed about relevant information randomly selected based on list of participants who participated in the project

The main information: Comments and suggestions about the project; the change

of their awareness, attitude and behavior related to plastic waste pollution after the project; the amount of plastic products that they reduce in daily using; how they spread the message of the project to relatives and friends

It will be set up in Vietnam language, using multiple choice and open question

5.1.2.3 Observation

Direct observation methods – without intervention: visiting some local areas that heavily influenced by plastic waste pollution, such Sam Son coastal areas, Trung Son landfill,…; the attitude of local people and their awareness in Sam Son; the change of behavior after the implementation of the project

5.1.2.4 Focus group discussion

Three focus group discussion (FGD) of 5 – 7 people were used to get more information in various sources by using prepared checklist, in which one group of local authorities, one group of local people, and one group of students and pupils

5.2 Data analysis

5.2.1 Descriptive statistic

Excel software is used to analyze data, make statistical hypothesis test and graphs and charts From that point, this research will illustrate the relationship between local people participation and the reduction of plastic waste pollution in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province

Descriptive statistic was used to analyze the collected quantitative data, then, draw charts, graphs, frequencies, and percentage

Quantitative and qualitative data after coding and analyzing are divided into 3 parts: knowledge, awareness and behavior

Table 5.1 SWOT analysis

Strengths Weaknesses

Opportunities Use strengths to take opportunities

Overcome weakness that stopping us to opportunities

Threats

Use strengths to reduce threats

Overcome weakness that can

be threat

6 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

6.1 The pollution situation and plastic waste management in Sam Son

In many places in Sam Son, the public waste bins are currently only placed for people, but do not have a garbage collection system Collection and treatment of waste

in Sam Son is responsibility of Sam Son Urban Services and Tourist Joint Stock Company The company is a joint stock company but is under the supervision of the state and is responsible for solid waste management, water supply, lighting, urban transport of the whole town Urban environment companies cannot guarantee the collection, transportation and waste disposal activities in the whole area

The collected garbage is mainly concentrated in 3 wards: Trung Son, Bac Son and Truong Son Trash collected includes many different types in large quantities, according to statistics of Sam Son Urban Environment and Tourism Service Joint Stock Company in the early of 2019, the collected trash includes:

- Average daily - life garbage collected is 43.2 tons/day;

- Average collection of marine waste 4.6 tons/day (collected in May, June, July, August, September);

- Agricultural waste collected by season (May, June, September and October)

on average 14 tons/day (reaches 61%);

Table 6.1 Composition of waste in Sam Son

No Type of waste Percentage

(Source: Sam Son Urban Services and Tourist Joint Stock Company in 2019)

Sam Son has 4 main markets (Moi market, Cot Do market, Cho market, Quang

Cu market) with a total volume of 9.1 tons of waste per day, of which, the Red Market and Moi market account for 8 tons These are markets that sell many items but mostly food

facilities with 130 beds Town hospital 80 beds; Commune health station, ward 50

beds with 89 health workers In the medical waste component, there are many highly infectious substances such as surgical bandages, needles, syringes based on the data collected by the town through contracts with Sam Son Urban Environment and Tourism Service Joint Stock Company estimates the total amount of solid waste discharged by the health sector to 1 ton/day after preliminary treatment

 School garbage: The whole Sam Son has 14 high schools with a total of

13,378 students; 59 kindergarten classes with 5052 children According to company estimates, the amount of waste generated here is 0.5 tons/day Garbage has not been collected in communes, extended town areas, neighborhoods, villages Lane and the places of restaurants, entertainment spots are still pretty much because the annual state budget is still limited, not enough to pay for collectors, mainly managed by people themselves and handling

 On the tourist season (from June to August), the amount of trash increase with

a large quantity (especially plastic products serving for the demand of tourists)

Plastic waste accounts for the largest amount of waste in Sam Son (equivalent

to 29.1%)

- After being collected, trash is still transported to dumping at the landfill 1.5km

from the Sam Son center (Trung Son lanfill) This is a natural lake located in the area

of 2 hectares Here trash is not treated but only fills the pit temporarily In the rainy season, all landfills are flooded, garbage water spills out of lakes, rivers and residential areas nearby causing serious pollution to surface water and groundwater Due to increasing pollution, people in the area around the landfill have repeatedly petitioned the town to close and move the landfill burial area In fact, the annual budget is very

limited, so Sam Son has no plan to solve the problem of pollution caused by waste thoroughly

Figure 6.1 Trung Son landfill

(Source: Taken by author)

- Sam Son - Thanh Hoa has long been a pride of Vietnam with famous landscapes However, recently, the serious pollution of Trung Son landfill of Sam Son has made people pressing, eager to quickly migrate; while tourists are inevitably annoyed by the image of filth and strong odor near the tourist area Sadly from a promising promised land like Sam Son will soon become a deserted place, poor, stagnant just because of a landfill if there is no way to resolve it promptly

Horrified with serious landfill:

- Following the road to Trung Son landfill, we were horrified by the garbage mountains with all kinds of waste The road in is slippery slimy, stench must be called

by two "horrible" words, flies buzzing uncomfortably as if to attack anyone who came

to "invade" their landfill

- Considering the technological process, it is more shocking to see that the system of treating leachate here is extremely rudimentary, not suitable for the current economic development of Sam Son This system is divided into 3 plots all: the first

cell burying the garbage, the other 2 cells to settle the waste water, treat the pollution before discharging it into the environment

- People around the landfill reflect that, over the past time, the amount of Sam Son waste has increased rapidly and all have been poured into the central place of Trung Son landfill; Sam Son Environment Company has dumped garbage indiscriminately, spilling over the fields, filling up the roads to the yard, the company did not distinguish the classified plots for proper disposal, including septic tank waste all over

- Leachate waste water spills all over the rice fields and fish ponds of the people It is worth mentioning that the landfill is located next to the Đơ river, in the south to the sea in Truong Son ward; The North connects with Ma River and also goes to Sam Son Beach in Lach Hoi, Quang Tien Commune Visitors to this bath also have to bathe with this dirty, dirty sewage

- People here reflect very harshly that flies fly into the house to blacken both pathetic disease-causing food, the stench that rises all day can not stand even if it is closed, they must send their children go to other places to take shelter and then eat at night Households in Trung Son Ward had to contribute 40 million VND / household

to install water pipes leading from the ward to use

The gloomy future of Sam Son

- Previously, Sam Son was famous for its poetic beaches and many scenic spots and historical monuments Here, visitors will visit Truong Le mountain with legendary legends with bold humanities; contemplate fairy poetic water scenes like Non Nuoc in the most tourist city of Da Nang

- However, now visitors come to Sam Son with an unfriendly look, rubbish full

of beaches, sea water mixed with stinking leachate, garbage road to the village Tourists feel frustrated and insecure when choosing Sam Son as a resting place, breathing fresh air after working days in the dusty and stressful city And if this situation continues, Sam Son will soon close the tourism industry

- Residents around Sam Son landfill just want to migrate very soon because they are worried about their children's future, as it continues, how to cultivate, cultivate and risk of disease, cancer will 'visit' one day not far away

- The more society develops, the more garbage increases every day with enough hazardous ingredients; leachate seeps into groundwater causing potential hazards; Air pollution has been the cause of robbing millions of lives in the world every year

- Sam Son land, water and air are at risk of serious pollution if there are no timely measures to resolve

6.2 The change in awareness and behavior of participants regarding to plastic

waste pollution in Sam Son after the project

6.2.1 The description of the respondents

120 respondents participated in the interview (out of 180 people joining in the project, n/N = 120/180), including local authorities, local people, students from Hong Duc University and pupils from Bac Son Secondary School and Bac Son High School They were chosen randomly from list of participants who participated in the project The detail of the respondents is shown in the table below:

Table 6.2 Description of respondents

(Source: Field survey, 2019)

The results are divided into 3 main groups of local authorities, local people, students and pupils to assess their changes in awarenes and behaviour on plastic waste

6.2.2 Local authorities

In the survey, 15 people were interviewed out of 20 people involved in the project (n/N = 15/20) Sam Son local government has helped and assisted a lot during the project Specifically, through the commune's loudspeaker system, the government helped the project propagate to the people to call for participation Not only that, local authorities also help spread the project and continue the good values Typically, on the morning of August 24, 2019, at the Sam Son beach, Thanh Hoa province took place

the launching ceremony "Let's clean the sea in 2019" with the theme "Join hands for the marine environment without plastic waste" Activities organized by Youth Union

of Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Thanh Hoa Province, Youth Union of Police Department of Thanh Hoa Province, Central Representative Office - Natural Resources and Environment Newspaper, HCMC Youth Union Sam Son co-organized

Figure 6.2 Activities of the program “Let's clean the sea in 2019” in Sam Son

(Source: From local authorities)

Commune authorities have also integrated education programs to raise public awareness of plastic waste pollution through loudspeaker systems or public meetings

6.2.3 Local people

55 people were interviewed out of 84 people involved in the project (n/N = 55/84) This is the group of people selected to interview the most because they will be the direct participants in the model of community-based plastic waste management The change in their perceptions and behaviors as well as their comments on model building are important and effective

 The change in knowledge about plastic waste after project

Through the project, participants were provided knowledge about plastic waste pollution and multi-view about recycling solutions They know the harmful effects of

plastic waste on their living environment and health They also update the alarming numbers of plastic pollution for their place of residence in particular and across the country in general Plastic pollution and the emerging problem are being responded by the whole world Therefore, the project helps them realize their role in the fight with plastic by minimizing the use of plastic in daily life

Figure 6.3 The change in knowledge about plastic waste after project

(Source: Results calculated by author based on data surveyed, 2019)

After joining in the project, most of people were enhanced knowledge about plastic waste pollution and multi-view about recycling solutions (43 people, equivalent

to 78.3%) The others said that their knowledge does not change because of what they have learned from books and television or have been lacking in focus during the process of educational workshop to raise awareness about plastic waste of the project (12 people, equivalent to 21.7%)

All respondents (100%) agree that it is essential to minimize plastic waste pollution in Sam Son They are aware of the harmful effects that plastic pollution has

on their environment and health After participating in the project, everyone expressed

78.3%

21.7%

Be enhanced Not change

were those who really cared about the environment because they spent time coming and listening, after the project, they also actively participated in contributing opinions and opinions about the environmental problems, especially plastic waste pollution

The change in using of plastic products compared to before joining the project

The project donated more than 100 fabric bags and personal water bottles for participants and encourage them to use it to replace plastic products

Figure 6.4 The using of plastic products compared to before joining the project

(Source: Results calculated by author based on data surveyed, 2019)

After being aware of plastic harm, many people have realized that they need to change their habits in daily life Most of the participants used fewer plastic products than before the project (40 people, equivalent to 71.9%) These people also encourage friends and family to refrain from using plastic products The people who answered that they used more than before (8 people, equivalent to 13.8%) are mostly business shop owners They say that as the demand for disposable plastic products such as plastic bags, tourist straws are constantly increasing If they refuse to give straws or

still not used to restricting the use of plastic products in daily life because they are very convenient They need time to adapt and change gradually

 The number of plastic bags and bottles that respondents have been using

every single week

The research also did a survey of the amount of plastic products that participants used after the project Most of the recorded results are a good sign No one uses more than 20 plastic bags and plastic bottles every week For those who use a lot

of plastic products such as 15 plastic bags and plastic bottles or more are asked for additional reasons

Table 6.3 The number of plastic bags and bottles that respondents have been

using every single week

(Source: Results calculated by author based on data surveyed, 2019)

40 out of 55 local people that participated in the project use plastic products less than before the project, and they mainly use 6 plastic bags and bottles every single week If each person reduces at least 1 plastic product, 40 people reduce at least 40 plastic products every week If this awareness education program is replicated in Sam Son, the number of minimized plastic products will be many times higher

People using plastic products less than 6 also account for a large number (19