Reducing single-use plastic bags: “green” hope from retailers

To ease plastic pollution, reducing single-use plastic bags used by retailers is necessary. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – 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).

Nguyen Trung Thang, INSPORE Deputy Director, noted that joint efforts by retailers in this regard will contribute to achieving targets of sustainable production and consumption.

100,000 plastic bags used in supermarkets each day

Speaking at a workshop in Hanoi on March 22, Thang pointed out plastic pollution as one of the most serious and urgent environmental issues facing Vietnam at this time.

He cited a survey conducted by the institute and its partners in March 2021 showing that about 104,000 plastic bags are used in supermarkets each day, equivalent to 38 million bags a year. Up to 46 out of the 48 surveyed supermarkets are offering free-of-charge plastic bags.

Notably, since its outbreak in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has given a boost to online shopping, thus worsening the plastic problem.

The convenience of plastic bags is undeniable. However, the durable and non-degradable characteristics of plastic products have been polluting the environment, affecting human health as well as animals and plants on the earth.

To tackle the issue, various legal documents have been issued, including the project on enhancing plastic waste management under which the Government sets the target of using 100 percent environmentally-friendly bags at commercial centres and supermarkets by 2025, and disposing 85 percent of generated plastic waste.

Thang said ISPONRE will continue to coordinate with partners – the Vietnam Packaging Recycling Alliance, the World Wide Fund for Nature in Vietnam, the Embassy of the Netherlands in Vietnam, the Sustainable Trade Initiative, the Vietnam National Plastic Action Partnership programme, the Vietnam Business for Environment (VB4E) Alliance, and the Asia Foundation to promote communication activities to change public behaviour – in this field.

Many said it is necessary to support retailers to seek solutions to reduce the use of plastic bags.

Towards no plastic bags

Since mid-2021, ISPONRE, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, has coordinated with the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade to call on businesses to join the Plastic Alliance gathering retailers that pledge to reduce the use of disposable plastic bags.

It is part of the “Rethinking Plastics - Circular Economy Solutions to Marine Litter in Vietnam” project funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Government, and carried out by Expertise France.

The alliance has stepped up communication programmes directly at retailers and online on social media platforms to change consumers’ behaviour in reducing single-use plastic bags and other plastic products.

Dr. Kim Thi Thuy Ngoc, from the institute, said as of December 2021, 16 retailers had registered for the alliance.

At the workshop, representatives from retailers proposed replacing non-biodegradable plastic bags by environmentally friendly bags and launching promotion programmes to encourage customers to reduce plastic bags, towards saying no to them, among other activities.

Nguyen Thi Hong, from Central Retail Vietnam – a member of the Plastic Alliance, said all of the supermarkets of Central Retail have stopped using single-use plastic bags and straws, and replaced them by those made from environmentally friendly materials like corn and potato starch, and banana leaves.

Central Retail has also encouraged its customers to use reusable Lohas bags which are available at non-profit prices of 8,900 VND (0.38 USD) per big bag and 5,900 VND per small bag.

Experts at the workshop spoke highly of the establishment of the alliance, the first initiative to bring together retailers, helping them find a common voice in reducing plastic bags.

The rollout of pragmatic activities and solutions to cut single-use plastic bags will be a great source of encouragement to retailers, for environmental protection and sustainable development in Vietnam./.