End Plastic Soup in Cam Ranh

Imagine this: Before you stretches a pristine coastline, its beauty marred only by the sight of plastic waste littering the shores. In response to this environmental challenge, a dynamic project has been launched in the stunning Cam Ranh region of Vietnam. Led by the local Rotary Clubs as well as Alma Resort, Anam Cam Ranh and Moevenpick Cam Ranh, and with the support of ten other resorts on the peninsula, the End Plastic Soup in Cam Ranh campaign has successfully initiated change.

The campaign started with a two-day clean-up on 17 and 18 June on the shores of Long Beach. More than 300 enthusiastic volunteers from participating hotels, Vietnamese Rotary Clubs and local schools joined forces for a common cause. Their efforts resulted in an amazing 1.5 tonnes of plastic being collected along the 15-kilometre stretch of Long Beach, which will find a new life through upcycling.

In the midst of the clean-up, a warm welcome dinner was held at the Alma Resort, fostering a sense of togetherness between the volunteers and the local community. Herbert Laubichler-Pichler, General Manager of the Alma Resort, emphasised the importance of this collaboration. Herbert Laubichler-Pichler, General Manager of the Alma Resort, stressed the importance of this cooperation. He underlined the importance of the Cam Ranh hospitality industry’s mission to work with the Rotary Club of Saigon International to support the End Plastic Soup initiative. The goal? To build a pioneering plastic upcycling facility right in Cam Ranh – a tangible solution to tackle plastic pollution at its source.

“Alma and the local hospitality industry know that we need to do our part to raise awareness of the damage plastic is doing to our stunning oceans, upcycle harmful plastics and raise funds to help build a facility here in Cam Ranh that will benefit the environment and the local community,” Laubichler-Pichler is convinced.

As part of the campaign, a remarkable range of hotels have joined the effort. From Aquamarine Resort to The Westin Resort & Spa Cam Ranh, these properties demonstrate their commitment to driving change. They are all resolutely committed to protecting their natural environment.

Why the urgency? Well, the World Bank paints a clear picture: Vietnam has become a major contributor to global plastic waste. Each year, an estimated 3.1 million tonnes of plastic are discarded on land, and another 0.28 to 0.73 million tonnes end up in the sea. These figures are not just numbers; they are a call to action for everyone to take action against this pervasive problem.

The End Plastic Soup campaign in Cam Ranh is in line with the global End Plastic Soup project. This initiative, supported by Rotarians around the world, envisions a future without plastic pollution in our oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, forests, parks and streets by 2050.