Youth-led plastic waste-fighting team makes debut in Hanoi
The team is a group of young environmental advocates who aim to raise public awareness of plastic waste, promote green living, and inspire sustainable behavior in local communities.
THE HANOI TIMES — The Hanoi Youth Union has launched the second National Green Sunday campaign in the Hoai Duc District to support the anti-plastic waste movement, ahead of World Environment Day on June 5.
The campaign's standout feature was the launch of three core volunteer teams championing youth-led environmental action and community development. These teams will take the lead in the 2025 summer volunteer campaign, reflecting the pivotal role of young people in building clean, civilized neighborhoods.
The "Green Spirit – Clean from Alleys to Streets" team, made up of local youth, Women's Union members, Veterans Association representatives, and the "3+ Self-Governance Team," will drive cleanup efforts during Volunteer Saturdays and Green Sundays. Their work will target residential areas, markets, and youth-led routes to enhance environmental hygiene at the grassroots level.
Nguyen Duc Tien, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Youth Union, launches an environmental cleanup campaign in response to World Environment Day on June 5. Photo: Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper
The "Youth in Action – Say No to Plastic Waste" team is a dedicated group of environmental communicators. Consisting of young volunteers, the team raises public awareness about the harms of plastic waste and promotes eco-friendly alternatives. They engage communities at the grassroots level to encourage green living and collective action for environmental sustainability.
The "Green Summer Volunteers" team incorporates enthusiastic youth union members and students who spearhead efforts to develop new-style rural areas. They work on environmental cleanups, waste collection, tree planting, public education, summer support for children, and other impactful community-based youth projects.
The debut of three volunteer teams. Photo: Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper
At the event, Nguyen Duc Tien, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Youth Union, encouraged local chapters and young members to actively participate in cleaning up the environment, with a focus on pollution hotspots in ponds, lakes, and wetlands. He also emphasized the importance of launching meaningful, youth-led projects that address local community needs.
As part of the event, the organizers distributed 50 sorting bins, reusable market baskets, and biodegradable trash bags to residential groups, neighborhoods, and Women's Union representatives to promote waste segregation and foster sustainable consumption habits.
Immediately following the launch, over 250 young people participated in sanitation work along the dike, at the war martyrs’ cemetery, and the Duong Lieu Commune Football Field. They also removed illegal advertisements from the walls in Moi and Me Tao villages. In addition, they conducted public outreach on reducing plastic waste and sorting trash in local markets and residential areas.
Simultaneously, Youth Union branches across all 30 districts and towns, along with 100% of school-based unions, launched their own Green Sunday activities, engaging more than 10,000 young participants.
In addition to the environmental campaign, the Hanoi Youth Union and the Hanoi Youth Federation teamed up with the Vietnam Young Physicians Association (including its Hanoi branch) and the FPT Long Chau pharmacy and vaccination center to organize a community healthcare program titled "Young Doctors Pioneer in the Digital Era." As part of the collaboration, 500 Hoai Duc District residents received free medical checkups and medication.
