People gather to clean garbage from a Con Dao beach. (Source: thanhnien.vn)

The program in co-operation with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) aims to raise awareness among local islanders and tourists on reducing plastic bags and single-use plastic from their daily shop.

The program, which involves 74 businesses from the district, offers support by providing free environmentally-friendly bags instead of plastic bags from shops.

Bags made from canvas are available at the Con Dao market desk.

The district and other agencies have been building a database on plastic bag and single-use plastic consumption to find the best solution to limit harmful plastic waste pollution.

Con Dao Island, 97 nautical miles off the coast of Vung Tau, is home to 600ha of sea weed beds and 1,000ha of coral reefs. Its pristine natural landscape has lured tourists to explore Con Dao Park and the natural reserve.

According to Greenhub, an NGO, plastic waste accounts for 80 per cent of the total solid waste at 30 beaches in Việt Nam.