Awards ceremony of environment-minded contest closed

The ceremony was dedicated to spreading the outstanding initiatives on plastic waste reduction

The event took place in conjunction with diverse occasions about the environment, including World Environment Day (June 5), Vietnam Sea and Islands Week (June 1-8), and World Oceans Day (June 8) with the theme “Joining hands for plastic-waste-free oceans”.

The ceremony attracted representatives from Halong city and Quang Ninh province, such as the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Quang Ninh province, Halong Bay Management Board, leaders of Halong People's Committee and its affiliates Division of Natural Resources and Environment, Division of Education and Training, Public Services Management Board, Youth Union, Women's Union, and representatives from the People's Committee of Bach Dang, Hong Hai, and Hong Gai wards.

Besides that, representatives of the two sponsors of the activity – USAID/DIG and Dow Chemical Vietnam – also joined the ceremony and shared remarks.

The ceremony was dedicated to highlighting and celebrating outstanding initiatives on plastic waste reduction by the champions (groups and individuals) among the 30 contest entries that reached the final phase of the contest, noting that many contestants are students supported by their teachers and parents.

The contest “Spread blue actions – Reduce plastic waste” was launched on April 10, 2020 and received 253 entries in over a month, with 61 entries passing the preliminary round and posted on the contest Fanpage.

The Organising Committee verified the number of interactions on the contest Fanpage to select the 30 top entries with the highest interaction score to enter the finals where the Board of Judges evaluated these articles according to criteria on content, presentation, and influence.

50 per cent of the final score came from the Fanpage interactive points, with the other half being the average score given by the judges.

The ceremony awarded six outstanding entries with prizes and honoured the champions in the individual and group categories. Along with this, one single first prize was awarded to a group of students from Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment; two second prizes were awarded to Tran Quoc Toan Primary School and 13-year-old Nguyen Hoang Minh Khoi from Halong city, and three third prizes were awarded to a group of students from Class 6H of Cao Thang Secondary School, 11-year-old Nguyen Xuan Truong from Halong city, and 8-year-old Nguyen Ho Hai Lam from Hanoi.

Notably, the above award recipients also received additional awards: the Prize for the youngest contestant; the Prize for the entry that secured the most interactions; The Prize for the most unique entry; and the Prize for the most impressive presentation.

Besides, the Organising Committee also handed out two special awards to the contestant with the highest score from the Judges to 8-year-old Nguyen Ho Hai Lam from Hanoi and the contestant having the highest interaction score to 13-year-old Nguyen Hoang Minh Khoi from Halong.

“The Spread blue actions – Reduce plastic waste programme aims at identifying and promoting initiatives on solid waste reduction, especially domestic and public plastic waste, with priority given to those that can be applied in areas along the coast of Halong Bay. We are very happy that the contest has attracted many participants who love Halong Bay, love the environment, and are very innovative,” said Ho Thi Yen Thu, deputy director of MCD.

Tran Ngoc The, vice director of Halong City Division of Natural Resources and Environment

Meanwhile, Tran Ngoc The, vice director of Halong City Division of Natural Resources and Environment said, “We highly appreciate the support of MCD for Halong city's environmental protection cause. This contest is a practical activity to increase the interest and understanding, and promote action in the community to address pollution, especially marine plastic waste pollution.”

The activity was part of the “Lessons learnt from municipal plastic waste management in world heritage site Halong Bay, Vietnam" project that was funded by USAID through the Municipal Waste Recycling Programme (MWRP) managed by the Development Innovations Group (DIG).

The project is handled by MCD in co-ordination with partners in Halong city, Quang Ninh province from 2018 to the end of 2020.

It primarily aims to improve the effectiveness of the current plastic waste collection, sorting, and treatment processes, making a significant contribution to mitigating plastics pollution of the UNESCO-recognised Halong Bay marine environment.

This activity was supported by the initiative “Youth-led initiatives to support raising awareness of key stakeholders on marine plastic waste for Halong Bay World Heritage", sponsored by Dow Chemical Vietnam, engaging university volunteers' participation through the MCD Blue Lighthouse programme.