Plastic-Reduction Handbook – Toward Green & Sustainable Tourism In Con Dao

As the volume of plastic waste from tourism continues to rise — especially from single-use items such as plastic bottles, straws, and bags — the Con Dao Center for Culture, Information, Sports & Tourism, in collaboration with WWF–Vietnam, developed the Guidelines for Plastic Reduction and Waste Management Toward a Circular Economy for tourism service providers on the island.

Velar Hotel – Cutting Plastic at the Source

This handbook serves as a clear, practical guide offering solutions for replacing single-use plastics, sorting waste at source, saving resources, and raising environmental awareness among both staff and visitors.

At Velar Hotel in Residential Area No. 5, the team has eliminated plastic bags, replaced single-use amenities with eco-friendly alternatives, and removed disposable cotton buds and combs from guest bathrooms.
Statistics show the hotel reduces 57 grams of plastic per guest per day on average.

Hotel manager Nguyễn Thành Lân shared that the handbook provided numerous actionable examples, enabling the hotel to switch to refillable ceramic bottles for shampoo and shower gel, replace plastic water bottles with glass, and significantly reduce plastic waste throughout the property.

Tân Sơn Nhất Hotel – Reducing Over 1,700 Plastic Bottles Monthly

By replacing single-use plastic bottles with cans and glass bottles, Tân Sơn Nhất Hotel has reduced 1,717 plastic bottles, equivalent to 5.7 kg of plastic per month. In its restaurant and café, the hotel has phased out plastic cups and straws, switching entirely to glassware, paper cups, and paper straws. Hotel manager Trịnh Khánh Tâm emphasized the importance of encouraging guests to bring personal items such as toothbrushes and combs, while all takeaway products now use paper-based packaging — a shift well understood and embraced by visitors.

Tourist Nguyễn Thị Phượng Liên shared her positive impression: upon arriving, she noticed the hotel used refillable glass bottles for drinking water and paper packaging for toothbrushes — changes that reduce plastic waste and enhance the overall guest experience.

Thanks to the collective effort of the business community: 80 accommodation providers have implemented plastic-reduction measures using eco-friendly materials; 100% of restaurants within hotels and guesthouses no longer use single-use plastics or wet tissues; 100% of travel service businesses participate in plastic-reduction initiatives.

The implementation of the Plastic-Reduction Handbook across tourism establishments has significantly reduced waste, protected marine and island ecosystems, and elevated Con Dao’s image as a green destination in the eyes of domestic and international visitors.

More than an environmental action, this initiative sets a strong foundation for sustainable tourism development closely linked to nature conservation — ensuring Con Dao remains a pristine island paradise for generations to come.