2026 Clean Up the World Campaign launched, focusing on food waste reduction

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, in collaboration with the Hanoi People's Committee and other relevant entities, officially inaugurated the 2026 Clean Up the World Campaign at Thong Nhat Park in Hanoi. Approximately 1,000 participants, including 500 staff from Hanoi Urban Environment Company Limited, took part in the event. This year's campaign emphasizes the reduction of food waste and proper management of food refuse, under the theme "From clean plates to clean cities."

A key feature of this year's campaign is the establishment of 100 sorting and recycling recovery hubs (HUBs), the creation of a digital map, and the introduction of a community action program called "21 Days of Sorting and Recycling Recovery." During the launch ceremony, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Le Trong Yen highlighted that food waste and organic waste constitute 50-70% of total domestic solid waste in Vietnam.

Consequently, the minister stressed the urgent need to minimize waste and food loss at the source and promote waste sorting as the foundation for modern waste management.

Pauline Tamesis, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, emphasized that reducing food loss and waste is directly connected to food security, environmental preservation, and urban development. She pointed out that change can begin with individual choices, such as reducing discarded food and improving the collection, treatment, and utilization of organic waste.

Immediately following the launch ceremony, attendees, including youth union members, environmental workers, and local residents, engaged in the "Trade Waste for Gifts" program and cleanup operations to clean Thong Nhat Park and other locations in Hanoi City. Clean Up the World, which began in 1993, is one of the largest community-based environmental programs globally, uniting various groups to address local environmental issues.

Activities typically include clean-up drives in natural environments, protecting habitats and species in waterways, wetlands, beaches, parks, forests, mountains, and bushlands. The campaign's vision is to inspire a billion people worldwide to tread lightly, clean up, and conserve the planet.