Hà Nội Xanh cleans rivers and changes habits in Vietnam

Nguyễn Tiến Huy, founder of Hà Nội Xanh in Vietnam, recalls witnessing a person throw trash into the Tô Lịch River while volunteers were cleaning it three years ago.

Established in 2022, Hà Nội Xanh began as a volunteer club dedicated to cleaning polluted rivers in Hanoi. Huy realized that changing public awareness was crucial because continuous cleanup efforts would be endless if people kept littering.

The group promoted environmental protection through social media images and videos to inspire others and attract more volunteers. After four years, Huy observes that people increasingly understand environmental protection is not solely the responsibility of authorities or organizations. More people now actively participate in cleanups and report pollution. Hà Nội Xanh’s surveys indicate that after cleaning ten locations, eight remained free of litter for one to two months.

Huy also learned from a personal accident while cleaning the Tô Lịch River. He was injured by a syringe and subsequently invested in better protective gear and vaccinations for his team. He founded Hà Nội Xanh in 2013, inspired by the contrast between the polluted Tô Lịch River and the clean river of his hometown in Hải Dương province. The organization has organized over 300 cleanups of rivers including the Tô Lịch, La Khê, Nhuệ, and Sét.

They aim to create "green points", areas that remain clean after intervention, rather than repeatedly cleaning the same spots. They plan to expand to 126 wards in Hanoi within five years and eventually offer waste processing and recycling services.