The University of Economics Ho Chi Minh city (UEH) has recently launched an initiative promoting zero-waste practices on its campus. This is done in an alliance with environmental non-profit Vietnam Zero Waste Organization (VZWA), and UEH will be the first zero-waste campus in Vietnam.
In the first phase of the project in 2021, the UEH has set the goals to reduce the amount of garbage in general by 40%, reduce single-use plastic waste by 30%, and that at least 70% of students and staff understand precisely what zero waste is.
The UEH Zero Waste Campus proposes an innovative solution that prioritizes applying the 3R (Reduce – Reuse – Recycle) model in waste classification and treatment. This increases the awareness of waste issues, the understanding and practicing of the Zero Waste lifestyle, and inspires to change the thinking and behavior of the young generation in the contribution to the development of the Vietnam circular economy.
Many tools will be used in the project to achieve the goal, including a handbook of zero-waste campus, a Material Recovery Facility (MRF), and celebrity endorsement. The latter is based on the results of an EfD study Celebrity endorsement in promoting pro-environmental behavior where the researchers found that when a celebrity supports an environmental campaign, it has a positive effect on the results.
by Nhan Le