Nearly 10,000 VAS students make effort to say ‘no’ to plastic waste

After 5 days of launching, the "Green School Year" environmental project of the Vietnam Australia International School (VAS) has received positive responses from more than 20,000 students, parents, teachers and staff across all campuses and over 100,000 interests from online channels.

Make effort to say ‘no’ to plastic waste

It is hard to say ‘no’ to plastic waste while one million plastic bottles are sold every minute and 500 billion plastic bags are used in the world every year. In particular, Vietnam is ranked in the fourth position in the list of countries discharging the largest volume of plastic waste into the sea, with 0.28 - 0.73 million tons of waste per year, accounting 6% of the world’s total amount. However, more than 10,000 VAS students, teachers and staff decide not to give up, but make efforts every day to minimize the amount of disposable plastic waste within VAS’s campuses. 

“Green School Year” project at VAS to say ‘no’ to plastic waste.

VAS has had a Green Opening ceremony of a new school year with no balloons, glitter confetti or celebrations filled with plastic plates. The project will continue expanding when the school encourages its students to use water bottles, ceramic cups and reusable or organic straws. New sets of segregration trashbins have also been placed in 7 campuses of VAS to help students form a routine of reducing waste and sorting waste at school.

Saying ‘no’ to plastic waste or reducing waste is just one of many activities under the "Green School Year" project that VAS has carried out since the beginning of this school year. The project was born with the purpose of fostering civilized generations and making positive contributions to preserve and restore the fresh and healthy living environment for both humans and nature with practical actions from VAS community.

Educate students to share responsibility with the community

Environmental protection is no longer a matter of the government, organizations and businesses. It’s the common responsibility of every person in the community. As the largest educational institution in Ho Chi Minh City with nearly 9,500 students and a great place nurturing the future generation of the country, VAS realizes it is time to share its responsibility with the community and foster its students to take this responsibility as Vietnamese citizens before becoming global citizens.

VAS students have had a Green Opening ceremony of a new school year.

From the beginning of this September, VAS students will be shared this inspirational project through “VAS Talks 2019” and other contests including “Green Corner”, “VAS Community Programme” or “VAS Green Day Run” - a fund-raising event for planting trees in Can Gio mangrove forest, with an aim to spread the message and bring practical solutions to protect the green planet. They will also practice the habit of saving paper, electricity and water; minimize food waste; actively reuse, recycle and plant more trees.

In a letter to students on the occasion of the new school year, Mr. Marcel van Miert - VAS Executive Chairman: “Through all these activities, VAS wants students to be able to build positive thoughts, habits and actions and from that create a green lifestyle of civilized citizens – the Green Generation of VAS! Furthermore, I hope every student and every family will join us - the whole VAS community, to light the fire of hope in restoring the fresh living environment which the whole world is joining hands with.”

The companion of more than 10,000 parents

VAS students are guided to take responsibility of Vietnamese citizens before becoming global citizens.

More than 2,000 Vietnamese and foreign teachers and staff working at VAS are becoming the role models and inspirations for students in this project. VAS also calls for nearly 10,000 VAS parents to become the good examples for their children at home; to monitor, remind, motivate and compliment them for the effort they have made to protect the environment; to propose better solutions and to accompany the school in activities of “Green School Year” project. 

Sharing about the project, Ms. Vu Ngoc Han, a parent from VAS Riverside Mega Campus, said: “Living Green and environmentally friendly are becoming a trend of the world. My family highly appreciates VAS's implementation of this project for students from the smallest grade levels and allows us to be part of the project. In the past, we often reminded our children to sort waste, put it in the right place and actively remind others who do it wrong. With this programme, my child feel motivated and very proud to contribute for the environment and for the community. The project also shows that families and schools have the same vision in the direction of educating children.”

Following this project, from September 16-27, 2019, VAS will launch the inspirational sharing programme, VAS Talks 2019 with the theme "Be the Green Generation of VAS" with the participation of more than 10 famous artists and community activists in Vietnam such as musician - music producer Duong Khac Linh, MC – actress Hoang Oanh, MC Nguyen Khang, MC Vo Hieu, community activists Michael Burdge, Le Nguyen Thien Huong and Helly Tong ...