The hotel industry in Vietnam’s idyllic Cam Ranh is tackling the scourge of plastic waste head on, working together to ultimately help establish a local plant that upcycles all types of plastic waste.

The “End Plastic Soup in Cam Ranh” campaign, spearheaded by Alma Resort, The Anam Cam Ranh and Moevenpick Cam Ranh and supported by 10 other resorts on the Cam Ranh peninsula, kicked off with an extensive two-day clean-up of Long Beach on June 17-18.

The weekend beach clean attracted around 300 volunteers from participating hotels, Vietnam’s Rotary Clubs and local schools, and roughly 1.5 tons of plastic were collected from the 15-kilometre-long Long Beach to be upcycled. A welcome dinner for volunteers and the community was held at Alma on June 17.

Alma’s managing director Herbert Laubichler-Pichler said Cam Ranh’s hospitality industry would work together with Rotary Club Saigon International to support Rotary-initiative End Plastic Soup to establish a plant in Cam Ranh to upcycle all types of plastics.

“Alma and the local hospitality industry know it is crucial to do our bit to raise awareness about the damage plastic is doing to our stunning oceans, direct harmful plastics to upcycling efforts, and fundraise to help contribute to establish a plant here in Cam Ranh that will help the environment and the local community,” Laubichler-Pichler said.

Other hotels participating in the campaign include Aquamarine Resort, Cam Ranh Riviera Beach Resort & Spa, Selectum Noa Resort, Ana Mandara Resort Cam Ranh, Melia Vinpearl Cam Ranh Beach Resort, Radisson Blu Resort Cam Ranh, Swandor Cam Ranh, The Westin Resort & Spa Cam Ranh, Wyndham Garden Cam Ranh Resort and The Arena Cam Ranh Resort.

According to the World Bank, Vietnam has become a major source of plastic waste in the world, with an estimated 3.1 million tons of plastic waste dumped on land and between 0.28 and 0.73 million tons dumped into the ocean each year.

The “End Plastic Soup in Cam Ranh” campaign is part of the global environmental End Plastic Soup project, supported by thousands of Rotarians worldwide, with a goal seeking “no more plastic soup” in the oceans and seas and “no more plastic waste in our lakes, rivers, forests, parks and streets” by 2050.

Community-based organisation Rotary Club Saigon International is part of Rotary International, one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to “provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.”