Hue promotes 'ASEAN Eco-Schools - Plastic-Waste Free Schools' model

On the morning of October 21, in Hue City, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment held a workshop titled "Guidance on Practice and Roadmap for Implementing the ASEAN Eco-School Criteria - Plastic-Waste Free Schools." The event, part of the ASEAN Eco-Schools Award Viet Nam 2025, attracted over 100 in-person delegates and connected to more than 1,000 virtual points.

The workshop was organized to introduce and guide schools in applying the ASEAN Eco-School Criteria to teaching, management, and extracurricular activities. It also served as an opportunity for schools that have already implemented the model and won the ASEAN Eco-Schools Award to share practical experiences. This helps teachers and administrators better understand and flexibly apply the criteria to their specific school environments.

According to Dr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Director of the International Cooperation Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), the "ASEAN Eco-Schools - Plastic-Waste Free Schools" model holds significant social, humanitarian, practical, and urgent meaning.

"This model helps integrate environmental education into schools, nurturing awareness and forming green habits right from the classroom," Tuan affirmed. "I believe that through small actions like limiting plastic bottles, sorting waste at the source, or recycling school supplies, students will become environmental ambassadors, spreading a positive message to their families and communities."

A 2022 World Bank survey revealed that Hue is among the coastal localities with the highest density of plastic waste pollution in the country, averaging 141.1 plastic items per meter of coastline, surpassing even Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. Notably, single-use plastics accounted for 80% of all plastic waste at surveyed sites along rivers and coasts. This figure highlights the serious challenge for waste management and the protection of the ecosystems in the lower Huong River and the Tam Giang - Cau Hai lagoon.

However, this situation has spurred Hue to become a leader in the movement to reduce plastics in schools and the community. According to the Hue City Department of Education and Training, the "Plastic-Reduction Schools" model, funded by Norway through WWF-Viet Nam, has been widely implemented across the city since 2022, engaging 180 schools and over 54,000 students. Of these, 83 schools selected as pilot models have collected nearly 30 tons of scrap materials, including over 5.5 tons of plastic, significantly reducing waste released into the environment and fostering green habits among the younger generation.

This provides a crucial practical foundation for Hue to continue expanding the "ASEAN Eco-Schools - Plastic-Waste Free Schools" model. The goal is to achieve comprehensive plastic reduction, enhance the quality of environmental education, and affirm Hue's position as a pioneering locality for sustainable development in the Central region.

Vietnam’s ASEAN Eco-Schools Award 2025 centers on the theme “Plastic-Waste Free Schools.”

Applications must be submitted in two ways at the same time: a hard-copy dossier sent to the Newspaper of Agriculture and Environment, Lot E2, Duong Dinh Nghe Street, Hanoi; and a single compressed digital file uploaded to Ecoschool.vn.

The deadline is October 31, 2025, based on the postmark for mailed submissions or the timestamp on Ecoschool.vn for online submissions.

The organizers of the ASEAN Eco-Schools Award Viet Nam 2025 believe the event will spread environmental awareness and encourage innovative initiatives in teaching and learning. This, in turn, will help build a "bright - green - clean - beautiful" school community, contributing to national and regional sustainable development goals.

On behalf of the selection council, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Cuc reaffirmed the significance of the Eco-School model amid worsening plastic pollution. "The Eco-School is not just a title; it is a sustainable platform to combat plastic waste, turning each student into a true environmental ambassador," she stated.

Drawing from international experience, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Cuc noted that the most effective environmental education methods are those involving experiential learning and behavioral intervention. She, therefore, urged schools to focus on creating a plastic-waste-free culture in every activity. She emphasized leveraging the younger generation's ability to absorb and spread change to improve the learning environment, enhance health, and connect with the local community.

The workshop also served as a forum connecting schools, management agencies, and social organizations to take joint action toward reducing plastic waste in education and promoting the "Plastic-Waste Free Schools" spirit nationwide.

On the afternoon of the same day, delegates, guests, and school representatives were scheduled to visit Le Loi Primary School, a typical model of the "Plastic-Waste Free Schools" movement and the school that won the highest honor in the Eco-Schools Award Viet Nam 2024.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has tasked the Vietnam Agriculture and Nature News in coordination with relevant agencies and units and the Green Future Fund, with organizing the ASEAN Eco-Schools Vietnam 2025 Awards - “Plastic-Waste Free Schools.” 

For details, visit the online edition at nongnghiepmoitruong.vn, the Awards website: ecoschool.vn, or contact Journalist Nguyen Quynh Chi, Phone: 0967181555, Email: nquynhchi.00@gmail.com.