Changing 60-year habits for the environment

If you've ever bought a drink on the street or at a refreshment bar, you've probably been served with a plastic straw. Many people say that drinking water without a straw feels lacking even though it is completely possible to drink without a straw. The convenient, cheap and durable plastic straw has become popular since the 1960s after the boom of the plastic manufacturing industry and the shaping of factories that mass-produce plastic straws. in America.

Over the past 60 years, plastic straws have brought convenience to people, but at the same time, they have also caused a burden on the environment when releasing garbage that takes 200-500 years to decompose. The amount of waste increases rapidly, air pollution, climate change ... make people pay more attention to environmental issues, many green living trends were born. Instead of plastic straws, more environmentally friendly alternatives are considered, such as straws made of paper, grass, bamboo, rice flour, glass, stainless steel...

Similar to plastic straws, nylon bags are also popular because they are cheap and compact to meet people's convenience needs, especially when life is busy. However, in recent years, reusable bags have been chosen by many supermarkets or people who care about the environment, instead of the familiar nylon bags.

In fact, any human habit undergoes long-term familiarization, reception and formation. Convenience is our priority over necessity. However, habits, no matter how long they exist, need to be alert to change in order to promptly solve urgent environmental problems.

Actions to join hands to reduce plastic waste in Vietnam

After the rise of plastic products, the world in general and Vietnam in particular are now facing the problem of disposable plastic waste. According to data from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in 2019, every day from 1,000 to more than 2,000 tons of plastic waste is discharged into seas and oceans in Vietnam. Although there are no specific statistics on each type of garbage, it can be imagined that in this huge volume of plastic waste, there are many plastic straws. This is an item that many consumers waste every day along with plastic cups and plastic bags after consuming beverage products. During the time of social distancing due to the strong outbreak of Covid-19 in Vietnam, the demand for home delivery of food and drinks increased rapidly, leading to the accumulation of disposable plastic waste in the environment.

In recent years, there have been many programs calling for people and communities to change their habits of single-use plastic such as the movement 'Green Sunday' in Hue, 'Say no to plastic bags' in Hoi An - Cu Lao Cham, Quang Nam... Many initiatives aimed at reducing plastic waste have been implemented in many localities such as the establishment of the Vietnam Packaging Recycling Alliance. State agencies in Ho Chi Minh City are required to limit the use of bottled drinking water, not to use plastic cups or straws to protect the environment from May 2019. And recently, in mid-July, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in cooperation with Nestlé MILO has just announced the launch of the campaign "Say no to plastic straws".

In Vietnam, Nestlé MILO is a pioneer in using paper straws for instant drinks. Talking about this transformation, Mr. Ali Abbas, MILO and Dairy Products Division Director, Nestlé Vietnam said: "Creating new consumption habits faces many challenges. However, this is a necessary step. necessary for long-term mutual environmental benefits, for a greener and more dynamic Vietnam".

To provide the ultimate consumer experience, Nestlé MILO actively provides recommendations and guidance on the use of paper straws. The brand also carried out a variety of sensory and taste tests with paper straws to clear up doubts that this new type of straw could transform the experience of enjoying MILO milk. The results show that there is no significant difference in product taste, apart from the experience of using paper straws which is quite new and unfamiliar like plastic straws.

The representative of Nestlé MILO said that, to protect the environment, we need to wake up to immediate convenience and think beyond the long-term threat to the environment to say no to plastic straws and other plastic items used. once. Reducing plastic waste is not an overnight story, but it can be realized thanks to the change efforts from each individual, organization to businesses and agencies.

Hoang Anh