The average weight of a single STEAM creative product made from plastic waste is 65g. If all 23 million K-12 students in Vietnam participated in a STEAM plastic-waste activity once a month, the total amount of plastic collected for these activities at schools could reach nearly 18,000 tons per year.
According to World Bank statistics, in 2022 Vietnam became one of the top four countries — alongside China, Indonesia, and the Philippines — contributing to 60% of the plastic waste found in the world’s oceans, surpassing Thailand. Vietnam generated about 3.1 million tons of plastic waste in 2022, equivalent to the total produced by Europe in 2010. On average, each Vietnamese citizen produces 31 kg of plastic waste annually, with the majority originating from plastic packaging. However, only 27% of this packaging is recycled.
Millions of tons of plastic waste are discharged daily worldwide, making the plastic pollution crisis increasingly urgent and requiring effective solutions.
The STARTUP 3SR team – University of Education, Vietnam National University, Hanoi
Evolving from a Top 5 project at TECHFEST VIETNAM 2021 and a Top 3 finalist at VNU STARTUP 2021, 3SR — a student startup team from the University of Education, Vietnam National University, Hanoi — continued to the national final round of the UNESCO competition “Creative Ideas for a Plastic-Free Ocean.” The project serves as an effective tool to address Vietnam’s growing plastic waste problem.
The STEAM program focused on creative reuse of plastic waste is designed to be integrated into individual subjects, interdisciplinary lessons, or extracurricular activities at primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary levels. Each program cycle involves one creative activity with plastic waste per month, meaning each student participates in 12 plastic reuse activities annually.
With each STEAM plastic project averaging 65g, if 23 million students nationwide participated once per month, the total amount of plastic collected annually would reach nearly 18,000 tons.
Creative products made from plastic waste will be showcased on the “STEAM Creative Products Exchange Platform” for preschool and K-12 students. This marketplace serves as a platform for teachers and students to present, exchange, and sell creative works within the community. It also acts as a strong incentive for students to experiment with plastic-waste creativity — a key driver in promoting source-level waste sorting and reducing plastic waste in Vietnam.
STEAM Creative Products Exchange Platform – a product of the STARTUP 3SR team
The STEAM creative plastic-waste program is an effective tool for schools in Vietnam to implement the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which the Ministry of Education and Training has detailed in its action plan. It educates students about waste sorting at the source, fosters environmental protection awareness, and promotes green thinking and sustainable development — all through creative, hands-on STEAM activities both in the classroom and beyond.