NPA Vietnam's Environmental Initiative to reduce plastic waste

In the face of a significant challenge—managing 1.38 tons of annual plastic waste from 60,000 sandbags— Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) in Vietnam has taken on the responsibility to address this environmental concern. The project, "Reducing Plastic Waste in Thua Thien Hue province," was made possible through the generous support of the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund (NREF), enabling NPA Vietnam in collaboration with local partner Hue Union of Friendship Organization (HueFO), to conduct this new and transformative initiative.

243 NREF handover ceremony 3 — Pho Trach villagers received machine and equipment supported by NPA project.

243 NREF Co Bang pressing machine 28012024 resized — Six new pressing machines (right), potentially increasing productivity to fivefold compared to the old tool (left), were installed for the village.

For five centuries, the Pho Trach village, a post-conflict affected community in Thua Thien Hue province, has been dedicated to the art of weaving products from Co Bang, a type of native grass found in Vietnam. However, the village faced challenges in commercializing its production to meet the demands of the market. Having identifying and assessing this opportunity to directly support the villagers, NPA Vietnam provided the community with six new Co Bang pressing machines and protective equipment. These improvements in production has benefited more than 150 village households but also involved training 50 local villagers, not just in machine operation but also in sharing the captivating story of Co Bang.

A visit to Long An province in southern Vietnam in July 2023 marked a turning point for the project, creating connections and opportunities that set the stage for future collaborations with other business partners. This journey not only expanded the network for the village and introduced a new variety of Co Bang, but also fostered a sustainable development of Co Bang tradition.

243 NREF Co Bang Sandbag trial 14092023 23 resized — Co Bang sandbags offer versatility in production, enabling customisation according to the specific requirements, in comparison with their plastic counterparts.

243 NREF testing of Co Bang sandbags before after demolition 28012024 resized — NPA conducted tests on the Co Bang sandbag in demolition scenarios, revealing that in this specific case, only 25 units were needed to reduce explosion impact compared to 40 units required with plastic sandbags (left). Additionally, the Co Bang sandbag eliminated the need for post-demolition cleaning (right).

243 NREF testing of Co Bang sandbag 28012024 resized — NPA's trials of Co Bang sandbags have showcased impressive durability, enabling them to endure exposure to weather for an extended period, lasting up to at least 45 days. In comparison, their plastic counterparts can only withstand such conditions for two weeks.

As part of this project, in addition to providing capacity development to the local villagers in support of their livelihood, NPA Vietnam sought to improve the impact of our operations on the environment. NPA Vietnam conducting successful demolition tests on sandbags made from Co Bang, and this has already yielded promising results. The new Co Bang sandbags demonstrated excellent impact reduction, requiring fewer units than their plastic counterparts. They exhibited fire safety post-demolition, with no or low risk of burning, highlighting enhanced safety features. The operational efficiency of Co Bang sandbags was evident, streamlining field operations by eliminating the need for post-demolition collection of plastic waste and resulting in time savings for field staff compared to old plastic sandbag alternative.

This success prompted NPA to revise its purchase order, from 5000 to 11,000 Co Bang sandbags, which would seek to reduce up to 253kg of plastic use.

Although the production cost of Co Bang sandbags is still higher than that of old plastic sandbags, mainly due to weaving labor, the village is optimistic in the transforming processes and eventually reducing production costs in the long term, with the provided tools, promisingly increased quantity of diverse product orders as well as business network facilitation resulted from this NPA project.

Mr. Tran Van Huy, Chairman of Phong Binh Commune, expressed gratitude, stating, "This is the largest and most effective support Pho Trach village has ever received for the development of our 500-year tradition."

While NPA Vietnam primarily operates as a mine action organization, this project underscores its commitment to addressing environmental and climate change concerns. The success not only highlights the importance of organizations addressing environmental issues beyond their core focus but also emphasizes the ample opportunities within the mine action sector to positively impact conflict-affected communities by promoting environmental protection and resilience to climate change.