One of the two solar-powered boats donated by Hanwha under its “Clean up Mekong” collects rubbish from the river. — Photo courtesy of Hanwha Life

The “Clean up Mekong” campaign, organised by Hanwha Group and Hanwha Life Vietnam in collaboration with the Viet Nam Environment Administration and the Global Green Growth Institute of Viet Nam last year, has won the gold prize at the world’s Best Advertising New York Festivals Awards 2020 in the category of Public Relations: Best Use in the Environmental Effort.

The campaign, started in Vinh Long last June, is among Hanwha’s efforts to protect the environment as part of its commitment to sustainability, and seeks to address the problem of floating waste clogging the Mekong (Cuu Long) River and raise public awareness of environmental protection in Viet Nam.

The Korean company donated two solar-powered boats to Vinh Long Province to help collect waste from the river in an environment-friendly manner.

The boats use high-performance Hanwha Q CELLS’ Q.PEAK DUO solar modules, allowing the boats to operate without emitting any greenhouses gases or other pollutants.

Each boat uses conveyor systems to collect waste from the surface of the Mekong River for six to seven hours every day. Together, they can collect 400-500kg of rubbish daily.

A social media campaign has also helped raise public awareness of the impact of pollution on the environment and the Mekong River.

The Facebook page has attracted more than 4.34 million views in Viet Nam.

Waste indiscriminately discarded along the river has turned the Mekong into one of the 10 most polluted rivers in the world.

The pollutants ultimately float into the ocean and threaten marine life. As Viet Nam is the last country through which the river runs before reaching the ocean, the “Clean Up Mekong” campaign specifically targets the riverside city of Vinh Long for the clean-up effort. — VNS