Over 2.6 million Join Plastic-Free Campaign

More than 2.6 million people have joined the Ministry of Environment’s campaign aimed at combating the use of plastic bags. Photo: The Ministry of Environment Facebook

PHNOM PENH – More than 2.6 million people have joined the Ministry of Environment’s campaign aimed at combating the use of plastic bags. 

The campaign, which started on Sept. 1, aims to reduce plastic use under with the slogans “Today I Don’t Use Plastics”, “We Join Force to Protect Cambodia’s Environment”, and “Goodbye Plastics”. 

The ministry said on Nov. 9 that participants had avoided the use of more than 10.6 million plastic bags since the campaign started. 

Among the participants, there were 101,183 teachers, nearly 2.44 million students, 39,986 factory workers/employees, and 74,523 other people.

Authorities have promoted the campaign by visiting and spreading awareness in 5,808 schools, 110 factories, 16 pagodas and 58 communities in 168 communes/districts across the 25 capital-provinces. 

The campaign has reached out to Kampot province to the greatest extent, with nearly 560,000 people taking part. Tbong Khmum, the first province to start the campaign, has had more than 438,000 participants. 

Siem Reap and Kandal provinces have almost 278,000 and 271,000 participants respectively. Meanwhile in  Phnom Penh, nearly 240,000 have taken part. 

Every resident in the capital uses five plastic bags on average per day, making 57 tonnes of plastic waste in total, the ministry said. 

The country’s major cities produce three thousand tonnes of plastics per day, but only 20 percent is recycled.

Cambodia produces around 56 million plastic bags per day, which equals 279 tonnes of plastic waste, the ministry added.

Environment Minister Eang Sophalleth said the campaign significantly contributes to solving the plastic problems. He calls on the public to stop littering and apply the 4Rs policy, which is to reduce, recycle, re-use and refuse plastics. 

The campaign encourages all participants to refuse to use plastic bags for at least one day per week. The minister said they could practice it for 2 or 3 days in the weeks in the future. 

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