Plaspics Hunter contest runs from April 22 to May 22

According to statistics from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, every year in Vietnam about 1.8 million tons of plastic waste is released into the environment – between 0.28 and 0.73 million tonnes of which is discharged into the sea.

The treatment and recycling of plastic waste are limited with up to 90 per cent being disposed of in landfills or by incineration and only the remaining 10 per cent being recycled. In addition, the attitude of the people is indifferent, seemingly uninterested in this alarming situation.

In hope of changing this situation, the VSF, the VZWA, and GreenHub have launched the Plaspics Hunter contest to look for 1,000 photos of plastic waste. With a total prize value of up to VND10 million (around $435), all individuals and collectives currently living in Vietnam – regardless of their age, gender, or nationality – who are concerned about the environment and plastic waste reduction can register to participate in the contest.

Those photos will be a resource for GreenHub to build a public digital platform that shares scientific data on plastic waste and health issues to raise people's awareness, change behaviours, promote green practices, and increase community participation in solutions.

Entries can be saved in pdf, jpg, jpeg, or png formats, with a minimum file size of 2MB or 2,000×3,000 pixels, and a resolution of at least 300 dpi. Shooting locations must be provided when submitting. Each individual or collective can submit multiple entries. Submissions should be accompanied by the message the photographer wants to convey, which can be a short paragraph or a poem. The entries should reflect the situation of plastic waste in the area where they live.

Participants can send photos to the organisers from April 22 to May 22. The results will be announced on June 1 and the awards ceremony is scheduled to be held on June 5.

The competition is under the framework of the Local Solutions for Plastic Pollution project and implemented by GreenHub. It is funded by the US Agency for International Development, VZWA, members of the Plastic and Health Action Partnership, Duy Tan Plastics Company, and Vietcycle Corp.