Volunteers cleaning up trash at the Pham Van Dong Beach in Son Tra District. Photo: Nhat Ha

A working day of sanitation workers of the Marine Environment Enterprise under the Da Nang Urban Environment JSC usually starts at 4:30am, and their daily duty is to clean and collect garbage that washed up on local beaches or was left by visitors from the night before.

Sanitation worker Tran Vu Linh from the Marine Environment Enterprise said that in the summer, people and tourists play at the beach later than usual, so they leave huge volumes of trash such as plastic bags and bottles and foam boxes at beaches. Therefore, he and other teammates have to work hard to return clean and beautiful beaches to beach-goers in early morning of the following day.

Deputy Director in charge of the Marine Environment Enterprise Nguyen Xuan Hoa said that in the summer, the company adjusted the working hours of workers 30 minutes earlier. Sanitation workers often gather at beaches crowded with tourists such as Pham Van Dong, T18, T20 and Man Thai to do their duty, and by 5:00 am these beaches are clean.

In order to ensure that trash is collected in time for tourists to swim, the company has to increase sanitation workers from 4 to 6. Also, its garbage collection truck increases its operation to 2 trips during the day and one trip at night due to the increased amount of garbage.

In addition, the workers also regularly check the collected locations so that if any problems arise, they will be handled immediately. On average, sanitation workers collect 12-15 tonnes of garbage per day.

Trash cans are being placed along seaside roads, making it convenient for locals and tourists to throw trash, added Mr. Hoa.

Along with the workers of the urban environment company, the Management Board of the Son Tra Peninsula and Da Nang Tourism Beaches also coordinates with related units to appeal for locals and tourists to join hands to protect the marine environment.

In July and August 2022, the Management Board organised the ‘Environmental Festival 2022’ programme with many useful activities to raise people’s awareness about environmental protection, especially saying no to plastic waste on the Son Tra Peninsula and at Da Nang beaches.

Included were the 2nd Son Tra Cleanup programme in 2022 on July 30, coral warriors protecting corals on July 23, a biodiversity exhibition from July 15 - 31, run for a green Son Tra on July 30, waking up with the blue sea on July 17, a check-in site with handicraft products made from recycled materials on August 7-8, fairs and festivals on August 7-8, and other community activities on August 7.

Head of the Management Board Nguyen Duc Vu remarked, in order to raise public awareness about environmental protection, sea order forces also regularly conduct patrols and remind people and tourists to maintain general hygiene and not to organise meals at beaches. Tourism service providers are asked to sign commitment to implement the business rules at the beach every year.

Reporting by Nhat Ha - Translating by M.Dung