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| Locals enthusiastically responding to the program “Bringing Green Home - No Plastic Bag Month 2025” while shopping at markets and supermarkets. Photo: Ngoc Hoa |
While shopping at AEON Mall Hue in early July, Ms. Phan Thi Minh Chau (from Kim Long Ward) was pleasantly surprised to receive a lovely fabric bag as a gift at the checkout counter. After inquiring, she learned that AEON Mall Hue is collaborating with the “Hue - Plastic Reduction City in the Central region of Vietnam” project to implement the “Bringing Green Home - No Plastic Bag Month 2025” campaign. The fabric bag was a gift for customers who chose not to use plastic bags at the checkout. “For a long time, I’ve had the habit of bringing my own fabric bag when shopping to help protect the environment. Receiving a gift for maintaining this green habit made me really happy, it feels like my efforts to live sustainably are starting to make a difference”, Ms. Minh Chau shared enthusiastically.
The “Bringing Green Home - No Plastic Bag Month 2025” campaign takes place from July 3 to 31, carrying a meaningful messenger: Each household should be proactive in reducing plastic waste when shopping at markets or supermarkets. Don’t let plastic bags pile up in the kitchen corner or let single-use plastic products become a burden on your trash bin, your home, and the environment around you,” said Mr. Nguyen Ngu Giao, a specialist in the project “Hue - Plastic Reduction City in the Central region of Vietnam”.
The campaign has been embraced by 3 major retail supermarket chains in Hue: GO! Hue, Co.opmart Hue, and AEON Mall Hue. During the campaign period, customers are encouraged to bring their own reusable bags when shopping. Additionally, the supermarkets have designated specific days of the week when plastic bags will not be provided at checkout counters. Instead, they offer cardboard boxes, paper containers, and reusable fabric bags at discounted prices, making it easier for customers to choose alternatives to plastic bags. Notably, customers who do not choose to use plastic bags also receive incentives such as discounts or reward points that can be redeemed for gifts.
According to Ms. Pham Thi Thu Trang, Director of GO! Hue supermarket, this year, the store will not provide plastic bags on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the duration of the campaign. “We believe that with strong community support, the number of plastic bags reduced will double compared to last year. This is a practical step toward the goal of sustainable development and preserving our living environment for future generations”, Ms. Trang shared.
Not only being responded by supermarkets, the campaign also receives strong support from various local businesses such as Kinh Do Specialty Joint Stock Company, Hue One Food Joint Stock Company, Green Alliance Production – Trading Co., Ltd., Thanh An Organic Facility, and SBC Hoang Gia Co., Ltd. These businesses have committed to reducing the use of plastic bags and single-use plastic products in their operations, while actively adopting more eco-friendly alternatives. They also offer special incentives to customers who refuse using plastic bags and are stepping up communication efforts to raise public awareness about minimizing plastic use in daily life.
Ms. Hoang Ngoc Tuong Van, project manager of the “Hue - Plastic Reduction City in the Central region of Vietnam” initiative hoped that every household would become a role model in saying no to plastic bags and single-use plastic products. According to Ms. Van, people should start with small changes to “bring green home,” such as bringing their own bags to the market, choosing eco-friendly alternatives instead of accepting plastic bags at checkout counters, and minimizing the use of single-use plastic items. These are not only actions toward a greener, cleaner home but also meaningful contributions to sustainable development.