At the local level, campaigns are the dominant mode in reducing plastic waste. In 2016, The Asia Foundation launched the ‘Love Laos: Keep it Clean’ campaign that aims to inspire people to stop littering and encourage recycling and composting. Several cities are targets of this movement, including Bolikhamxay, Luang Prabang, and Khammouane. The campaign was started by establishing waste management projects in several schools and communities. The projects included financial opportunities and education on subjects like selling materials for recycling and using organic material for fertiliser in vegetable gardens. A short movie competition was held in 2016 to raise awareness on waste, littering, and improper waste discharge. All these are expected to lead to more sustainable habits (Handerson, 2017).
The Faculty of Environmental Science at the National University of Laos, the Hanoi University of Sciences, and other organisations collaborated in ‘SEA Plastic Edu Rasmus+ Project’, a project to minimise plastic use and enhance the quality of environment. Targeting government officials, the private sector, teachers, and students, the project consists of training on plastic recycling and plastic exchange management, lessons on characteristics and use of plastic waste, ways of managing waste, and recycling and examination of different types of plastic waste (Bubphanouvong, 2019).
The city of Luang Prabang, a tourist destination, conducts campaigns, through its tourism industry, to reduce the massive number of plastic water bottles. Hotels, tour operators, restaurants, cafes, and museums provide refill stations for free or cheaper drinking water. Several businesses have started to ban plastic bottles through the Refill Not Landfill activity. Some businesses have been asked to switch from plastic to non-plastic reusable bottles to involve tourists in efforts to reduce plastic waste (The Laotian Times, 2018).
Bubphanouvong, S. (2019), NUOL, Hanoi University Making Progress in Reducing Plastic Use. http://vientianetimes.org.la/freeContent/FreeConten_NUOL_230.php (accessed 19 November 2019).
Handersen, D. (2017), Love Laos: Keep it Clean. https://asiafoundation.org/2017/04/19/love-laos-keep-clean/ (accessed 19 November 2019).
The Laotian Times (2018), ‘Reducing single-use plastic bottle consumption in Luang Prabang’, The Laotian Times. https://laotiantimes.com/2018/04/01/reducing-single-use-plastic-bottle-consumption-in-luang-prabang/ (accessed 19 November 2019).
Vientiane Capital City. (2016). City report (draft) Vientiane Capital City. https://www.uncrd.or.jp/content/documents/3920Front%20page_City%20Report_Vinetiane.pdf (accessed 19 November 2019).
At the local level, campaigns are the dominant mode in reducing plastic waste. In 2016, The Asia Foundation launched the ‘Love Laos: Keep it Clean’ campaign that aims to inspire people to stop littering and encourage recycling and composting. Several cities are targets of this movement, including Bolikhamxay, Luang Prabang, and Khammouane. The campaign was started by establishing waste management projects in several schools and communities. The projects included financial opportunities and education on subjects like selling materials for recycling and using organic material for fertiliser in vegetable gardens. A short movie competition was held in 2016 to raise awareness on waste, littering, and improper waste discharge. All these are expected to lead to more sustainable habits (Handerson, 2017).
The Faculty of Environmental Science at the National University of Laos, the Hanoi University of Sciences, and other organisations collaborated in ‘SEA Plastic Edu Rasmus+ Project’, a project to minimise plastic use and enhance the quality of environment. Targeting government officials, the private sector, teachers, and students, the project consists of training on plastic recycling and plastic exchange management, lessons on characteristics and use of plastic waste, ways of managing waste, and recycling and examination of different types of plastic waste (Bubphanouvong, 2019).
The city of Luang Prabang, a tourist destination, conducts campaigns, through its tourism industry, to reduce the massive number of plastic water bottles. Hotels, tour operators, restaurants, cafes, and museums provide refill stations for free or cheaper drinking water. Several businesses have started to ban plastic bottles through the Refill Not Landfill activity. Some businesses have been asked to switch from plastic to non-plastic reusable bottles to involve tourists in efforts to reduce plastic waste (The Laotian Times, 2018).
Bubphanouvong, S. (2019), NUOL, Hanoi University Making Progress in Reducing Plastic Use. http://vientianetimes.org.la/freeContent/FreeConten_NUOL_230.php (accessed 19 November 2019).
Handersen, D. (2017), Love Laos: Keep it Clean. https://asiafoundation.org/2017/04/19/love-laos-keep-clean/ (accessed 19 November 2019).
The Laotian Times (2018), ‘Reducing single-use plastic bottle consumption in Luang Prabang’, The Laotian Times. https://laotiantimes.com/2018/04/01/reducing-single-use-plastic-bottle-consumption-in-luang-prabang/ (accessed 19 November 2019).
Vientiane Capital City. (2016). City report (draft) Vientiane Capital City. https://www.uncrd.or.jp/content/documents/3920Front%20page_City%20Report_Vinetiane.pdf (accessed 19 November 2019).
