Current status of plastic waste generation at Chau Van Liem high school, Can Tho city

Abstract

Plastic waste pollution is an urgent global issue, and in Vietnam, seriously affecting human health and the environment. This study was implemented to assess the current use, generation, and management of plastic waste at Chau Van Liem High school. The data were collected by 306 interviewing students at three grades 10, 11 and 12 using Google Forms. The generation and composition of plastic waste were evaluated by collecting, classifying, and weighing waste on campus. The results revealed that the total volume of plastic waste ranged from 72.33 kg to 81.00 kg, with the generation coefficient ranging from 0.040 to 0.045 kg/person/day. The mainly of plastic waste is plastic cups, accounting for 40.03 %, plastic bottles for 25.54 %, foam boxes for 18.10 %, plastic straws and spoons for 9.96 %, and plastic bags for 6.37 %. The high school could increase the dissemination of issues of single-use plastic waste through teaching and extracurricular activities within the school, which would help increase knowledge and thereby change students' plastic usage behavior.