Single-use plastics to be banned in Co To island, Vietnam

Plastic bags and bottles will no longer be allowed for visitors of Co To island in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

The rule will be applied starting September 1, when tourists aiming to visit the island in Vietnam will no longer be allowed to bring in single-use plastic aboard of the ferries at Van Don Wharf. According to the statements of Nguyen Viet Dung, chairman of the district, the ban will become official after several months of trialling.

The decision was made as local officials aim to transform Co To into a lead ecotourism destination, so they urged both visitors and locals to begin limiting plastic products use and start transition to sustainable alternatives. The ban for the local communities is yet to be announced.

Co To island, located 80 kilometres away from mainland Vietnam in the area of the Gulf of Tonkin and close to the border with China, is an astonishing destination abundant in white sand beaches, lush forests and crystal clear waters. Its tropical climate and the abundance of mesmerizing attractions on its more than 50 islets makes the small island one of the most popular locations in Vietnam for tourists seeking for peaceful holidays surrounded by the tranquillity of natural landscapes.

The current ban related to single-use plastics follows a similar decision: Cu Lao Cham, or Cham Islands biosphere near Hoi An, has prohibited the use of plastic bags for tourists thirteen years ago, back in 2009.

 

source: breakingtravelnews.com