It is estimated that Vietnam disposes of about 1.8 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, including about 30 billion plastic bags. Plastic waste is making serious and permanent impacts on the environment due to its resistance to decomposition.
Since an environmental protection campaign to reduce plastic waste was launched, many supermarkets, shopping centres and production facilities nationwide have been using environmentally friendly products to replace plastic bags.
The use of non-polluting products has also received support from many local markets and citizens. However, over time, the use of natural products for preserving and containing goods at retail establishments has gradually faded. Shoppers have also forgotten about limiting plastic bag usage to protect the environment.
Observations at several supermarkets and shopping centres in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City show that most establishments use plastic bags for their customers to hold purchased items. The purchased products are also placed into plastic bags by retail staff before being handed to customers. None of these places use cotton bags, sedge bags, or large paper bags for deliveries as they did a few years ago.
Le Thai Hang, procurement manager for a supermarket chain, said: "We receive goods from suppliers without packaging, then the staff will sort and process them according to requirements.”
The supermarket has not used environmentally friendly packaging products for a long time due to low demand, high prices, and impacts on profits or product prices. Methods such as using banana leaves to wrap vegetables, bamboo baskets for eggs, and natural ties are also unpopular as they are inconvenient and can damage goods.
Ha Thuy, director of a packaging production company, shared: "Four years ago, I invested in a production line for environmentally friendly paper bags. Initially, the products sold very well, but after two years we had to change direction due to a lack of buyers. Supermarkets and traditional markets stopped ordering because of high costs, and customers didn't favour paper bags as they were difficult to fill and prone to broken handles, tears, and punctures."
A representative from V. Food — one of the pioneers in using banana leaves for vegetables and baskets made of sedge, bamboo, coconut fibre, and water hyacinth for food packaging — stated that the company has not used these methods for deliveries in a long time. Using environmentally friendly products is beneficial but inconvenient and can cause goods to spoil. Moreover, the supply of these products is very limited and inconsistent.
It is learned that major supermarket chains encourage and guide both staff and customers to use environmentally friendly products and limit single-use plastic products and bags. However, current alternatives do not meet customers' needs nor intended uses, resulting in limited adoption.
Furthermore, plastic bag usage in traditional markets is very common. Almost no stalls offer environmentally friendly containers for customers' purchases. "Inconvenient, unavailable, nobody uses them..." is the response from small traders when asked about these products.
Why are environmentally friendly products no longer the first choice in traditional commercial activities? The answer is perhaps quite clear: it's about cost, convenience, and the indifference of regulatory authorities and citizens regarding environmental protection and plastic waste reduction.
According to some Hanoi market management officials, there are currently no specific penalties or regulations mandating the use of environmentally friendly products or prohibiting plastic bags. Therefore, the functional authorities cannot intervene.
Nguyen Thi Lieu, a resident in Hanoi’s Dong Da stated frankly: "At supermarkets, I only see sales assistants using plastic bags for customers to hold purchases. Honestly, they're very convenient and can hold anything. Regarding pollution, the issue isn't just about excessive use but also relates to responsibility in waste collection, sorting, and processing."
To date, environmentally friendly products have witnessed a decline, and are even no longer widely used in traditional commercial activities. Instead, plastic bags and non-biodegradable plastic containers are returning.
The enormous quantity of these products and the dangers they pose when disposed of in the environment indicate the need for specific, effective solutions from state regulatory bodies.
It is necessary to develop strong sanctions for plastic products; limit the production and use of plastic products; encourage and create conditions for research, production, and use of environmentally friendly products; and persuade businesses and individuals to use environmentally friendly products.
