02. Assessing current status of environmental communication activities about reducing plastic waste at Tuy Hoa city, Phu Yen province

Abstract

Plastic waste has become global issue nowadays. It poses many severe impacts on ecosystems, social economics and human health. A previous study revealed that Vietnam is the top 4^th country leaking plastic waste into the ocean every year due to mismanagement of waste. One of the main reason is the unsustainable consumption pattern of local community. This research was conducted to study the current status of plastic waste and the effectiveness of awareness raising activities in Tuy Hoa city, Phu Yen province. The results showed that although there have been a number of awareness raising activities conducted in Tuy Hoa, the effectiveness is still limited. 36% of interviewees believed that plastic waste amount is not reduced even after many awareness raising campaigns. The most popular communication channels for plastic waste awareness are social media and online newspapers. To increase the effectiveness of plastic waste awareness programs, Tuy Hoa should invest more on building human capacity on environmental communication, integrate communication activities into city annual environmental management plan to ensure their long-term and sustainability.