Charity
Waste items exchanged for gifts
  • | dtinews.vn | April 20, 2010 09:10 AM

Old batteries, broken light bulbs, old chemical bottles, waste items that normally would have been thrown away, were brought to the "Exchange a recyclable waste item for a gift" stall, as part of the Waste Recycling Day event that took place on April 18 in Le Van Tam Park, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City to promote environmental issues awareness.

Recyclable waste items are being exchanged for gifts.

People coming to this third annual event were much more aware about environmental issues than in the previous years, and they brought with them many different kinds of waste items that could be recycled. The gifts in exchange were simply some soft-drink cans, recycled bags, and snacks.

Le Vu Nguyen Phuong, from Nguyen Huy Luong Road, Ward No.14, Binh Thanh District, brought an amount of 720 AA-batteries and 50 PP3-batteries, and said that these batteries had been used in his guesthouse for remote controls, and that he had saved up for six months for this special event. "Previously, we had always thrown old batteries into the rubbish bin. But about a year ago, we became more aware of environmental issues, so we started to save them, and here I am bringing them to today's event," Phuong added.

The organisers said apologetically to Phuong that there were not enough presents for the huge amount of old batteries that he had brought to the event. However, Phuong just smiled and replied, "I only come to support the event. Just one soft-drink can for me is enough."

Just like Phuong, many other people, old and young, brought along their broken light bulbs or chemicals bottles to exchange for a gift.

Minh, from Phu Thuan Ward, District No.7, came with her little son, said, "I have made plans for this day from last week. I'm bringing along with me some chemicals bottles that I have just recently found. I want to take my son here so that he can understand and become more aware of the environment."

Paper and recycled bags were seen everywhere, instead of plastic bags at the event. Dao Thi Huong, a student from Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry shared, "From now on, I will start to use recycled bag in my daily life. Many recent activities and events that promote environmental awareness, have really taken effect on each and every one of us."

Everyday in HCMC about 7,000 tonnes of rubbish are produced, causing water, dust and air pollution. It is also a source for diseases, costs huge amounts of money to have it treated.

2008 Waste Recycling Day attracted about 5,000 people and was be able to collect 600 kg of waste items. In 2009, more than 7,000 people came for the event and 1,850 kg were collected.


Happy with a soft-drink can exchange.

Paper and recycled bags as meaningful gifts.

Receiving a recycled bag as an exchange gift.

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