Hanoi (VNA) - It has been more than a year since the fight against plasticwaste was launched on a national scale and despite claims of success by theMinistry of Natural Resources and Environment, single-use plastic bags arestill commonly used at markets and supermarkets in Hanoi.

LeavingDai Tu Market, one of the busiest markets in Hoang Mai District, each personcarries two to five plastic bags on average. Some even carry 10 bags with meat,fish and vegetables inside.

AlongKim Giang Street which leads to the Dai Tu Market, roadside stall owners putfood and drinks into plastic cups, bottles and styrofoam boxes for takeaways.

Plasticpackages are scattered on the ground next to the stalls.

NguyenThi Huyen, a housewife in Hoang Mai District, said there was a large number ofvisitors to the Dai Tu Market every day so the daily amount of plastic wastedischarged from the market is huge.

The samesituation was witnessed at other big markets in Hanoi like Kim Giang, Kim VanKim Lu in Hoang Mai District, Hom Market in Hai Ba Trung District and Long BienWholesale Market.

Atthe end of the day, collectors struggle to load fully-packed plastic bags totrash trucks.

Evensupermarkets and fast-food restaurants have returned to using plastic forpackaging because of its convenience and low prices.

Apackage of 100 plastic bags to wrap products before shipping can be bought foronly 30,000 VND (1.3 USD).

Itcosts sellers 5,000-10,000 VND (0.2-0.4 USD) for 100 plastic straws and 10,000-20,000VND (0.4-0.6 USD) for 50 plastic cups.

NguyenThi Hoa, a food seller at Kim Giang Market, said she knew it was necessary toreduce plastic waste to protect health and the environment but customers mustbring their own reusable bags so food sellers like her no longer have to givethem plastic bags.

“Somebring bags made from cloth but it’s just a small number of customers. Whencustomers ask for bags, we still have to use plastic.

“Becauseplastic is cheap and convenient, the habit of using plastic bags is hard to bechanged,” she said.

NguyenThuong Hien, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Environment Administration,admitted that plastic use at markets in Hanoi was still common.

Despite studiesshowing that plastic pollution has become one of the biggest challengescountries worldwide face, it is difficult to change the public's habit of usingplastic packaging, he said.

TheMinistry of Natural Resources and Environment is working on a number ofinitiatives to make the campaign more practical. One of them is to amend thelaw to increase taxes on plastic bags so that “non-biodegradable and toxicplastic bags will no longer be produced,” he said.

AsVietnam aims to completely remove plastic bags which are difficult to decomposeat supermarkets by 2025, “supermarkets must not give customers plastic bags forfree. Customers have to pay if they want to use. Coffee shops and restaurantsmust commit to no single-use plastic,” he said.

“Weneed specific penalties for violations and supervision from the community,” he said.

“Ithink people need to raise awareness about environmental protection by limitingthe use of non-biodegradable plastic bags. Please say no to non-biodegradableplastic bags and single-use plastic items. Using plastic may be cheap andconvenient but it certainly affects your own health and environment,” he said.

Accordingto the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam releases about2,500 tonnes of plastic waste every day, accounting for 7 percent of solidwaste.

InHanoi, roughly 4,000-5,000 tonnes of waste are discharged every day. About 7 to8 percent of it is plastic./.