Recycling Activity in Australia and Vietnam

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Resources are being used up at an incredible rate, which means that there might be nothing left for the future generation. To reverse this flow, almost every country has decided to prioritize on recycling, which basically means turning used products into other usable tools or materials. However, it is usually different from one country to another, such as between Vietnam and Australia. This essay will consider the similarities and differences between the two, focusing on the recycling of plastic bags, scrap metals, and recycling infrastructures.

Firstly, recycling of plastic products, particularly plastic bags, has been an urgent matter for years and it is one of the main differences between Vietnam and Australia. Despite being the most common form of rubbish items, which account for 30% of the rubbish that has been collected in 10 years, the damages that plastic products cause to the environment is extremely severe (Clean Up Australia Ltd, 2009). Not only being unable to be replaced after depleted due to their non-renewable nature, plastic products also greatly threaten the marine life. Research has shown that approximately 46000 pieces of plastic can be found in 1 square mile of the ocean thus are extremely hazardous to thousands of creatures under the sea (ibid). Both Vietnam and Australia derive huge benefit from the sea, therefore this problem must be considered even more seriously. In Australia, almost everybody has taken up the responsibility of reducing the use of plastic products, especially plastic bags. From a small village in Kangaroo Valley that has completely banned the usage of plastic bags, to the “free calico bags” policy introduced by the Hunters Hill Council, all have contributed to a better, plastic bags-free...

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