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| The idea of recycling glass bottle waste into flower vases. Photo: hanhtinhxanh.com.vn |
An essential need
In recent years, reuse has become a rapidly growing global trend. Sectors such as secondhand and vintage fashion, household goods, electronics, and used books and newspapers have created vibrant and dynamic markets.
The culture of “thrifting” - seeking unique secondhand items at reasonable prices -is spreading widely among young people. This shows that reuse not only helps reduce waste but also reflects a lifestyle that is economical, creative, and expressive of personal identity.
Many developed cities have established professional reuse systems. In Japan, there are “reuse plazas” that receive, repair, and resell used items. Tokyo is well known for its flea markets, where visitors can stroll around and find unique items at reasonable prices. In Europe, there are “repair cafés,” where residents are guided to repair items for free or at low cost. These models demonstrate that: Reuse can fully become an effective urban service, significantly reducing pressure on waste collection and treatment systems.
Meanwhile, Hue generates more than 200,000 tons of household waste each year, a significant portion of which consists of bulky items such as clothing, wooden furniture, tables and chairs, books, and electronic devices. Many of these items still have usable value but are discarded due to the lack of proper collection points. Moreover, many households face the problem of accumulating old belongings that take up living space and ultimately still end up as waste.
However, unlike in developed countries, bulky waste in Hue generally has relatively low economic value. Therefore, reuse models need to be adapted to better fit local realities.
Hue has long had a tradition of exchanging used goods: the “flea market” at Tay Loc Market; student-run secondhand markets in the Truong Bia area; secondhand shops along Chi Lang and Ba Trieu streets; and online exchange groups created by young people. Despite their strong potential, these activities are largely spontaneous, lacking a coordinated system as well as dedicated points for collection, sorting, and repairing.
In reality, within the volume of bulky waste in Hue, there is still a proportion of items that could be repaired or reused if they were collected early. Restoring this group of items would primarily help reduce waste treatment costs and create livelihoods for local repair workers. If Hue were to establish a well-organized reuse network, the city could significantly reduce the costs of waste incineration and landfilling; create additional livelihoods for repair workers and secondhand shops; attract tourists interested in experiencing local culture; and foster a more sustainable consumption lifestyle within the community.
Linked to Tourism and Culture
Reuse models in Hue need to be grounded in the reality that the quality of used items is uneven. Therefore, the focus of organizing reuse should be on early collection, basic repair, and redistribution within the community, combined with public outreach to reduce waste generation.
To promote reuse in connection with tourism and culture, Hue could begin by establishing a city-level reuse center - a dual-purpose model that both handles bulky waste and creates an experiential space for residents and visitors. This center could include areas for receiving, repairing, and reselling used items, combined with a “Reuse Gallery” exhibition space, basic repair workshops, and a section selling recycled products. From there, a new destination with Hue’s own creative identity could take shape, similar to successful models seen in Japan.
In addition, the city could organize weekend secondhand markets in suitable public spaces. These would be ideal locations for regular flea markets, used book fairs, and exchange zones where residents and visitors can trade items, creating an attractive cultural and tourism activity. Such markets would also provide opportunities for local residents to bring along items that are still usable but no longer needed, to exchange, give away, or resell at reasonable prices.
Hue could also develop tourism tours themed around a “culture of reuse,” taking visitors to long-established secondhand shops and introducing them to traditional repair crafts. For this ecosystem to operate effectively, local authorities would need to support small businesses by allocating pilot stalls in major markets, providing skills training, and facilitating connections with vocational schools. In parallel, the collection of bulky waste should be reformed toward source separation for reuse. Establishing rapid sorting areas at collection points would help separate items with remaining value from waste sent for treatment, following practices adopted by many cities around the world.
In addition, community communication plays an important role. Campaigns such as “Reuse Before Buying New” and “Swap Items – Change Habits” would help spread a culture of reuse within the community and lay the foundation for a sustainable lifestyle in Hue.
Reuse does not require advanced technology, but it does require the collective effort of the community, repair workers, businesses, and local authorities. With its tradition of frugality, the dynamism of its youth, and its distinctive tourism potential, Hue could become a pioneering locality in linking reuse with the circular economy. From old items, Hue can grow into a city that knows how to regenerate value and move toward a sustainable green future.