It is not by chance that the awareness of people in the highland communes of Lac Son district such as Nhan Nghia, Yen Phu, Thuong Coc... has changed significantly. From 2023 to present, Lac Son district has organized dozens of conferences to disseminate environmental laws, including the content of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, officially effective from January 1, 2022.
The training sessions and staged communication not only conveyed the content of the law, but also helped people see the direct connection between littering and water pollution, reduced crop productivity, and even affecting their family health.
"Leaf dissemination is no longer the matter of reading - copying - distributing leaflets. We invited the people, hamlet leaders, and cooperative members to participate in the dialogue, perform skits, and answer situations. Thanks to that, the dissemination of the Law on Environmental Protection has become much closer, said Ms. Bui Thi Ha - Head of the Lac Son District Judicial Department.
Thanks to full and proper propaganda, people have proactively proposed that the commune government sign a contract with the Cooperative for Agricultural and Forestry Services of Nhan Nghia commune to collect waste periodically. Previously, household waste, especially packaging for pesticides, was often burned, buried or released into streams. Now, the cooperative has coordinated with each hamlet to collect along the route and transport to the centralized treatment plant.
In Yen Nghiep commune - where a solid waste treatment plant of 10.5 hectares is being built, people also expressed their hope: "If there is a modern treatment facility, we will be more ready to collect and classify it according to regulations. No one wants to live in garbage, it's just that before, they didn't know how and no one was collecting it," said Ms. Bui Thi N - a commune resident - shared
In particular, the BVTV drug package collection model is being piloted in 5 communes with large growing areas, including Nhan Nghia, Ngoc Lau, Tu Do, Quyet Thang and Thuong Coc. Each hamlet is given 1 - 2 containment holes with roofs and warning signs. People are instructed to classify, gather at the right location and coordinate with cooperative officers or Farmers' Association to transport to the district's collection point.
Previously, many people did not think that the bag of medicine would be so toxic. Now that we know, no one dares to waste it. The commune also has cameras at the gate of the hamlet - anyone who violates will be reminded immediately," said Mr. Bui Van Q - Head of the Farmers' Association of Thuong hamlet, Thuong Coc commune.
From these changes in awareness and action, Lac Son district authorities assess that the rural environment is gradually improving. The number of communes meeting environmental criteria in new rural construction continues to increase. In the 2025 plan, the district sets a target of 100% of communes having an effective garbage collection model, at least 70% of households self-classifying waste at source and the rate of treated agricultural waste reaching over 60%.
However, there are still many difficulties: limited funding, isolated terrain, outdated farming practices, and lack of specialized means of transportation. However, with the synchronous participation of authorities at all levels, the participation of cooperatives and mass organizations, and consensus from the people, changes from legal propaganda are truly sowing green seeds in the Lac Son mountains and forests.
