Saigon Co.op becomes first retailer to stop selling plastic straws
More than 600 nationwide supermarkets and convenience stores of the Saigon Union of Trading Cooperatives (Saigon Co.op) have taken the leap to remove all plastic straws from their shelves this month.
Banana leaves are used to wrap vegetables at a supermarket (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – More than 600 nationwide supermarketsand convenience stores of the Saigon Union of Trading Cooperatives (SaigonCo.op) have taken the leap to remove all plastic straws from their shelves thismonth.
This is the first retail system in Vietnam tostop selling plastic straws.
Deputy Director General of Saigon Co.op NguyenAnh Duc said that in the long run, his firm will also remove plastic strawsattached to its private label products. It will ask retailers inside its storesto minimise the use of plastic straws.
Saigon Co.op is also replacing plastic bags withbanana leaves as an environmentally-friendly material to wrap food, he added.
In 2011, the firm became the first to replace single-useplastic bags with bio-degradable ones.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade said the useof bio-degradable bags and banana leaves to wrap food is amongst thesignificant efforts by Saigon Co.op to reduce the quantity of plastic bags incirculation to help protect the environment.
Many countries like the US, the Republic ofKorea, and China have banned or issued a roadmap for prohibiting the use ofthis type of plastic product.
In Vietnam, the Government has imposed an environmentaltax rate of 100-250 percent of the production cost of 1 kg of single-useplastic bags. However, problems in tax collection have hampered the developmentof bio-degradable bag producers.
According to international organisations,Vietnam is one of Asia’s five worst polluters of ocean plastic waste. With 13million tonnes of waste released into the ocean every year, the country ranks17th in the world for ocean plastic waste pollution.
The Ministry of Natural Resources andEnvironment estimated that a staggering 80 tonnes of plastic waste and bags arethrown away every day in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City alone.
The ministry aimed to reduce 65 percent of single-useplastic bags used at supermarkets and shopping malls by 2020 compared to 2010. Vietnamhopes to eliminate disposable plastic bags by 2026. –VNA
A seminar took place in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh on March 21 to discuss solutions to plastic waste – a major threat to the environment around the globe.
The Straits Times, an English-language daily newspaper based in Singapore, published an article on April 3 praising an eco-friendly campaign in Vietnam, which has seen local supermarkets using non-plastic products to wrap vegetables.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has praised several supermarkets for using natural alternatives in wrapping goods, saying it contributes to raising public awareness of protecting the environment for the community’s benefits.
In the recent times, some supermarkets in Vietnam have started using banana leaves to wrap food instead of plastic bags. The move has been praised by the community.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has written a letter urging joint action for a healthy, safe and sustainable living environment as well as dealing with pollution caused by plastic wastes.
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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.
The fight against plastic pollution could not succeed through isolated efforts, but it must be a collective endeavour involving the entire political system, businesses, citizens, and the international community, said Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy.
Lang Son Global Geopark, with its outstanding geological values, cultural heritage, and unique natural landscapes, represents a valuable addition to UNESCO’s global geoparks system.
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'.
According to Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment Le Huu Toan, a fire prevention and control plan has been in place since the dry season began, including round-the-clock patrols and rapid-response teams to snuff out fires before they could spread.
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.
Banana leaves are used to wrap vegetables at a supermarket (Photo: VNA) 
