Consumers still favour plastic bags due to cost-effectiveness
Consumers in Vietnam are reluctant to use eco-friendly products made from natural materials as they are more expensive than plastic products, according to economic experts.
Consumers check products at fresh food and vegetable sections in a supermarket in Hanoi (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Consumers in Vietnam are reluctant to useeco-friendly products made from natural materials as they are more expensivethan plastic products, according to economic experts.
Normally, eco-friendly products cost twice as much as plasticproducts, causing consumers and small businesses to be reluctant to use theformer.
The Government has set a target to use 100% of environmentallyfriendly plastic bags and packaging in shopping malls and supermarkets by 2025and to ensure the collection, reuse, recycling, and treatment of 85% of plasticwaste.
Facing the serious danger of plastic waste to the environment,many legal documents on this issue have been issued.
In Hanoi, many supermarkets have managed to reducenon-biodegradable plastic bags and replace them with 100% biodegradable bagsand banana leaves. However, the number of products wrapped in banana leaves andbiodegradable bags is still modest compared to the number of goods on sale.
Acting Director of Hanoi’s Department of Industry and Trade TranThi Phuong Lan said that to support businesses, the department would continueto propose mechanisms and policies to introduce and consume eco-friendlyproducts.
It would also promote the development of infrastructure,collection and recycling services for hard-to-decompose plastic waste,single-use, and non-degradable plastic bags; research on advanced technologytransfer mechanisms for recycling hard-to-decompose plastic waste.
From mid-2021, the Institute of Strategy and Policy on NaturalResources and Environment under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment,in collaboration with the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade has called forbusinesses to sign a commitment to join the Alliance of Retailers to reducenylon bags.
So far, 16 retailers have registered to join the alliance and arecommitted to working together to reduce plastic bags and single-use plasticproducts.
A Central Retail Vietnam Group representative said that, as amember of the Alliance of Retailers to reduce plastic bag consumption, all ofCentral Retail's supermarkets are no longer trading single-use plastics such aspipes.
Instead, its supermarkets have piloted using biodegradable plasticbags made from cornmeal and potatoes to help customers accompany thesupermarket in environmental protection./.
An alliance of retailers who pledged to reduce the use of disposable plastic bags made its debut at a ceremony held by the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Hanoi’s Department of Industry and Trade on January 14.
Vietnam will ban the use of all plastic bags, even in wet markets, from 2030, according to an official of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
Ho Chi Minh City is striving to stop the production and import of single-use plastic products, non-biodegradable plastic bags and microplastic items to lower plastic waste pollution and treatment costs.
To ease plastic pollution, reducing single-use plastic bags used by retailers is necessary, according to the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE).
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Vietnam's economic losses from natural disasters are estimated to account for 1 to 1.5% of GDP annually - a steep price that will continue to rise unless the country takes strong action.
Wutip, the first storm in the East Sea so far this year, has wreaked havoc across central Vietnam, claiming lives, displacing residents, and causing widespread damage to houses, crops, and infrastructure, the Department of Dyke Management and Disaster Prevention and Control reported as of 6:30 pm on June 13.
The tremor occurred at 7:39:46 am (Hanoi time), with the epicentre located at latitude 14.924°N and longitude 108.236°E, at a depth of approximately 8.1 kilometres. The natural disaster risk level was classified as 0 – the lowest on the scale.
Addressing a session on “Accelerating Financing for Resilience: Tailored Solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction,” Deputy Minister Hiep emphasised Vietnam's proposal in building sustainable financing in response to natural disasters, which aligns with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction's goals.
Vietnam has demonstrated its strong commitments by participating in global sustainable development forums, signing multiple free trade agreements, and attracting support from international partners for the implementation of the SDGs.
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In 2019, Quang Ninh became one of the first localities in Vietnam to launch a province-wide campaign against plastic waste, mobilising the participation of the political system, the business sector, and the general public. Other localities—such as Hai Phong, Da Nang, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City—have also effectively implemented waste-sorting initiatives at source, along with models for plastic-free markets and urban areas.
This year’s World Oceans Day on June 8 is themed 'Wonderful Oceans: Sustaining What Sustains Us', while World Environment Day is on June 5 with the theme: 'Beat Plastic Pollution'.
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Renowned artists including Ha Anh Tuan, Den Vau, and Phan Manh Quynh, along with many directors and attendees, took part in planting hundreds of rare tree species such as mun (Diospyros mun) and cho chi (Parashorea chinensis) in the Thung Bong area of the Cuc Phuong National Park, contributing to forest ecosystem restoration.
The dispatch noted that since the beginning of 2025, natural disasters have claimed 29 lives and left several others missing. A total of 67 houses have collapsed, and 2,342 homes have been unroofed or damaged.
Consumers check products at fresh food and vegetable sections in a supermarket in Hanoi (Photo: VNA) 
