Say no to plastic products.

"Plastics will have a bright future," Dustin Hoffman stated in the classic American film "The Graduate." That was an assessment of the plastics industry's development 50 years ago, but the reality is that today, plastics create far more environmental problems than we imagined.

Last year, in Indonesian waters, a dead sperm whale that washed ashore was found to have 6kg of plastic waste in its stomach, including flip-flops, bottles, bags, 115 plastic cups, and over 1,000 pieces of plastic. This past March, another whale was found stranded on the Philippine coast with 40kg of plastic waste in its stomach. According to information from...United Nations Environment ProgrammeEvery year, up to 13 million tons of plastic drift into the ocean, invading and persisting for centuries, poisoning marine life and even humans.

For this reason, many countries are moving towards eliminating plastic products, including Vietnam. Since the beginning of June this year, Vietnam has been mobilizing strong social participation in the movement against plastic waste, striving to eliminate the use of single-use plastics by 2025. In response to this environmental campaign, many resorts and hotels in Vietnam are making efforts to say no to the use of plastic.

Hotels belonging to the Meliá Hotels & Resorts Group

Meliá Hotels & Resorts' hotels in Vietnam, including Meliá Hanoi, Meliá Ba Vi Mountain Retreat, Meliá Da Nang, and Meliá Ho Tram, are limiting the use of single-use plastic products and replacing plastic straws, cups, and bags with products made from bamboo, paper, wood, or glass. Meliá Hanoi launched its "Say No to Single-Use Plastics" campaign in September 2018. Meliá Ba Vi Mountain Retreat uses ecoheim paper – an environmentally friendly paper – or recycled paper for printing brochures placed in guest rooms. Meliá Da Nang has implemented the "Soap for Hope" program, collecting partially used soap bars, sterilizing and cold-pressing them, drying them, repackaging them into new soap bars, and sending them to areas with limited sanitation.

Guillermo Pantoja, General Manager of Meliá Hanoi, shared: “We believe that big changes always begin with the smallest actions. We call on everyone to contribute to protecting the environment, hoping that the time will come when they no longer need to use convenient plastic items during gatherings and meals with family and friends.”

Paradise Cruises

Vietnam is facing a plastic waste disaster.Earth Day NetworkVietnam ranked 4th globally in plastic waste emissions last year, generating over 1.8 million tons. Paradise Cruises, one of the leading cruise service providers in Ha Long Bay, has stopped using plastic straws on its 7 luxury cruise ships, reducing the use of 36,000 straws annually. The group aims to cease using non-biodegradable plastic products in its operations by the end of 2018. Edgar Cayanan, CEO of Paradise Cruises, expressed his concern: “Plastic waste takes over 200 years to decompose, significantly harming the ocean, and this is especially true in Ha Long Bay. We need to act now to reduce the amount of plastic waste released into the ocean every day.”

Lang Co

Laguna Lăng Cô is nestled amidst pristine nature, surrounded by mountains and covered in primeval forest from the mountaintops to the beach. Preserving the surrounding natural environment is a top priority for the resort. Laguna Lăng Cô Golf Course Director Adam Calver shared: “Vietnam is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and we are truly fortunate to be here, amidst the most beautiful unspoiled mountains and forests in the region. We are aware of our responsibility to the environment, and eliminating the use of plastic products is one of our many priorities. Bamboo baskets have replaced plastic trash cans, paper cups have replaced plastic cups, straws made from paper, bamboo, or natural grass have replaced plastic straws, and we are using more items made from bamboo or wood.”

The Anam Cam Ranh

The Anam beach resort in Cam Ranh has significantly reduced its use of plastic products by discontinuing the use of nylon bags, replacing plastic bottles with glass bottles, and replacing plastic straws with bamboo straws sourced from sustainably managed forests. The Anam also uses treated laundry water to irrigate its gardens, conducts regular beach cleanups, and encourages staff, suppliers, and neighboring hotels to join hands in reducing plastic waste to create a strong collective effect. “Reducing plastic waste is extremely important for humanity. Plastic pollution seriously threatens the environment worldwide; we are ingesting plastic when we eat fish containing the microplastics we have discarded. We will be at the forefront of taking strong action to stop the use of plastic products at the resort,” said Mr. Pham Van Hien, the investor of The Anam.

Sol Beach House Phu Quoc

“Say No to Plastic Straws” is a campaign by Sol Beach House Phu Quoc resort. Located on Truong Beach in the south of Phu Quoc island, this resort is committed to supporting and participating in environmental protection campaigns, aiming to eliminate the use of single-use plastic products in an effort to create cleaner and safer air, soil, and water. Sol Beach House Phu Quoc has switched to using reusable bamboo straws to replace plastic straws. These 100% natural and organic bamboo straws are grown, harvested, and handcrafted by local businesses and ethnic minorities. Mr. Raul Mateo Lapuente, General Manager of the resort, shared: “Together, we will create change. Join us in this global campaign to save and protect the environment and make our planet a better place to live.”

The Phong