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Western tourist also immediately notice it when they come to SE Asia. It's a pity that this is such a strong memory. As a Vietnamese local, why do you think th

Western tourist also immediately notice it when they come to SE Asia. It's a pity that this is such a strong memory. As a Vietnamese local, why do you think the plastic pollution is so widespread here? Sure, everything is packed in plastics, but so is in Japan. Why do people just not think twice about throwing their waste in a ditch or a river or leave their picnic at the beach? Or is most of it coming from the sea? What could change the mentality?

mc32 8y ago
As an outsider, If I had to guess it would be lack of proper institutionalized waste management; one that’s not rigorously enforced. In the West in the early 20th century we also had burning heaps of trash in abandoned or empty lots.
- ataturk 8y ago
  Don't worry, we'll be back to that pretty soon as the cost of throwing anything away has skyrocketed. I recently (as in, two days ago) had to dispose of a bedroom's worth of carpet and padding. It wasn't much material, but it cost me $56. Also, for all of you saying "wow our country is dirty" well pick up a fucking mop and get to work!
leejoramo 8y ago
As a child growing up in 1970s USA, I remember the vast amount of trash along our roads, city streets, parks and beaches. It was fairly common to see people throw trash out of their car windows. What changed? I have never studied this, but I know we implemented large scale clean up projects, passed new laws and made a cultural shift in attitudes.
- stefanfisk 8y ago
  I also remember Sweden being like this until early/mid 90s. The only real change AFAIK was peoples' attitudes, as a result of government campaigns. Hell, in the 60s you could watch wonderfully informational movies as this on the one and only available TV station https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrcrX9Qaw2o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrcrX9Qaw2o. (skip to 1:15 for the recommended practise of waste removal near the ocean).
- ataturk 8y ago
  Where I live, the recent arrivals, let's call them "visitors" although cynically they are probably permanent residents now because our legislators treat them like they're more important than actual citizens. Anyhow, these newcomers seem to enjoy throwing trash out their car windows ALL THE TIME. I have witnessed it personally. Who the hell thinks it is okay to get fast food and then as soon as you're done eating in your car while driving, pitch it out the fucking window? It makes me fucking livid. My wife and I (and sometimes my kids) spend several sunny afternoons each year picking up bags of trash gathered from the streets around our home. I don't enjoy this work, but if nobody else is going to do it, I will. I refuse to live in a 3rd World dump and I'll do what I can to keep it from looking like that. But yeah, push us Americans a little harder. See what happens.
- thaumasiotes 8y ago
  What changed was the environmentalism movement, usually symbolized by the crying Indian commercial. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CryingIndian https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CryingIndian >>>> My guess is it will take another generation for people there to appreciate how blessed they are to live in such surroundings but by then it will unfortunately be too late. This in the parent comment is strange. It wasn't too late everywhere else, and it obviously won't be too late in Vietnam either. A clean environment is a luxury you can afford when you're rich. Poor places are dirty, but it's not like they can't be cleaned.
  - leejoramo 8y ago
    Yes, I should have included the rise of the environmental movement. And I came very close to including the crying American Indian ad, it was very impactful on me.
  - ams6110 8y ago
    Yes, I was a kid in the 1970s and the anti-littering campaign was pervasive. I was too young to remember/notice the litter itself, but definitely remember the "Crying Indian" commercial, Woodsy Owl[1], and others. You always saw these in the Saturday morning cartoons, in particular. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodsy_Owl https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodsy_Owl
- maxxxxx 8y ago
  Same in Germany. I remember piles of trash at almost every Autobahn stop and people burning piles of trash was normal. I think the willingness to keep the country clean is connected to prosperity. Only when the basic needs are met people care about the environment.
coconut_crab 8y ago
I can think of a few reasons: - Convenience & economic: one kg of nylon bag costs around 2$, 20~40 times cheaper than biodegradable plastic, and nylon bag are taxed at more than 100%. - Local market are full of farmers selling their fresh vegetables, poultry or pork. So when I go buy food for my dinner I come back with 3~5 bags, with each ingredients having their own bag. While a visit to supermarket often result in 1 bag for all of those. - Average Vietnamese simply wasn't taught how precious nature is. Just 30 years ago we were riding on wood gas truck or cars modded to run on kerosene mixed with gasoline. There is a saying "Prosperity brings respect" (roughly translated) in Vietnam, and we are still poor and too busy to make more money. - We simply don't have the facility for classifying trash and recycling/burning them.
- toper-centage 8y ago
  How do you keep your meat and vegetables in a single bag? It's not impossible to reject bags in the local markets - I do that all the time. But on my travels around SEA but specially Vietnam, I feel tired and hopeless. I saw a lady from a toy shop throw a few batteries away to the curb without giving it a thought.
baolongtrann 8y ago
> Why do people just not think twice about throwing their waste in a ditch or a river or leave their picnic at the beach? I think there are two main reasons. First, many people don't have environmental awareness. They weren't taught. That's not to blame them, but it's just a fact. However the new generations are indeed educated on that subject. We were taught to not litter, to pick up the trash, etc. But this is where the second issue lies: when we don't follow the rules, nothing happens. No immediate consequences. Whereas in other developed countries, when people break the rules, they get fined, they get other people looking at them funny. That collective awareness helps enforce the simple rules.

mc32 8y ago

As an outsider, If I had to guess it would be lack of proper institutionalized waste management; one that’s not rigorously enforced. In the West in the early 20th century we also had burning heaps of trash in abandoned or empty lots.

ataturk 8y ago
Don't worry, we'll be back to that pretty soon as the cost of throwing anything away has skyrocketed. I recently (as in, two days ago) had to dispose of a bedroom's worth of carpet and padding. It wasn't much material, but it cost me $56. Also, for all of you saying "wow our country is dirty" well pick up a fucking mop and get to work!

leejoramo 8y ago

As a child growing up in 1970s USA, I remember the vast amount of trash along our roads, city streets, parks and beaches. It was fairly common to see people throw trash out of their car windows. What changed? I have never studied this, but I know we implemented large scale clean up projects, passed new laws and made a cultural shift in attitudes.

stefanfisk 8y ago
I also remember Sweden being like this until early/mid 90s. The only real change AFAIK was peoples' attitudes, as a result of government campaigns. Hell, in the 60s you could watch wonderfully informational movies as this on the one and only available TV station https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrcrX9Qaw2o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrcrX9Qaw2o. (skip to 1:15 for the recommended practise of waste removal near the ocean).
ataturk 8y ago
Where I live, the recent arrivals, let's call them "visitors" although cynically they are probably permanent residents now because our legislators treat them like they're more important than actual citizens. Anyhow, these newcomers seem to enjoy throwing trash out their car windows ALL THE TIME. I have witnessed it personally. Who the hell thinks it is okay to get fast food and then as soon as you're done eating in your car while driving, pitch it out the fucking window? It makes me fucking livid. My wife and I (and sometimes my kids) spend several sunny afternoons each year picking up bags of trash gathered from the streets around our home. I don't enjoy this work, but if nobody else is going to do it, I will. I refuse to live in a 3rd World dump and I'll do what I can to keep it from looking like that. But yeah, push us Americans a little harder. See what happens.
thaumasiotes 8y ago
What changed was the environmentalism movement, usually symbolized by the crying Indian commercial. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CryingIndian https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CryingIndian >>>> My guess is it will take another generation for people there to appreciate how blessed they are to live in such surroundings but by then it will unfortunately be too late. This in the parent comment is strange. It wasn't too late everywhere else, and it obviously won't be too late in Vietnam either. A clean environment is a luxury you can afford when you're rich. Poor places are dirty, but it's not like they can't be cleaned.
- leejoramo 8y ago
  Yes, I should have included the rise of the environmental movement. And I came very close to including the crying American Indian ad, it was very impactful on me.
- ams6110 8y ago
  Yes, I was a kid in the 1970s and the anti-littering campaign was pervasive. I was too young to remember/notice the litter itself, but definitely remember the "Crying Indian" commercial, Woodsy Owl[1], and others. You always saw these in the Saturday morning cartoons, in particular. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodsy_Owl https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodsy_Owl
maxxxxx 8y ago
Same in Germany. I remember piles of trash at almost every Autobahn stop and people burning piles of trash was normal. I think the willingness to keep the country clean is connected to prosperity. Only when the basic needs are met people care about the environment.

coconut_crab 8y ago

I can think of a few reasons: - Convenience & economic: one kg of nylon bag costs around 2$, 20~40 times cheaper than biodegradable plastic, and nylon bag are taxed at more than 100%. - Local market are full of farmers selling their fresh vegetables, poultry or pork. So when I go buy food for my dinner I come back with 3~5 bags, with each ingredients having their own bag. While a visit to supermarket often result in 1 bag for all of those. - Average Vietnamese simply wasn't taught how precious nature is. Just 30 years ago we were riding on wood gas truck or cars modded to run on kerosene mixed with gasoline. There is a saying "Prosperity brings respect" (roughly translated) in Vietnam, and we are still poor and too busy to make more money. - We simply don't have the facility for classifying trash and recycling/burning them.

toper-centage 8y ago
How do you keep your meat and vegetables in a single bag? It's not impossible to reject bags in the local markets - I do that all the time. But on my travels around SEA but specially Vietnam, I feel tired and hopeless. I saw a lady from a toy shop throw a few batteries away to the curb without giving it a thought.

baolongtrann 8y ago

> Why do people just not think twice about throwing their waste in a ditch or a river or leave their picnic at the beach? I think there are two main reasons. First, many people don't have environmental awareness. They weren't taught. That's not to blame them, but it's just a fact. However the new generations are indeed educated on that subject. We were taught to not litter, to pick up the trash, etc. But this is where the second issue lies: when we don't follow the rules, nothing happens. No immediate consequences. Whereas in other developed countries, when people break the rules, they get fined, they get other people looking at them funny. That collective awareness helps enforce the simple rules.