Retailers step up circular economy efforts to curb plastic waste

Marking International Plastic Bag Free Day on July 3, the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Agriculture and Environment (ISPAE), in collaboration with Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade and development partners, launched the 2026 Plastic Bag Free Day Campaign at GO! Thang Long shopping centre in Hanoi.

Plastic Bag Free Day was launched at GO! Thang Long shopping centre in Hanoi on July 3. Photo: ISPAE

The campaign brings together major retailers including Central Retail Vietnam, Lotte Mart Vietnam, Aeon Vietnam, MM Mega Market Vietnam, and TH true mart, with support from Unilever Vietnam, the Hanns Seidel Foundation Vietnam, the Pacific Environment, and the Vietnam Foundation.

Speaking at the launch, Nguyen Trung Thang, deputy director of ISPAE, said that building a circular economy in the retail sector required practical changes in both business operations and consumer behaviour.

“Reducing the use of single-use plastic bags, encouraging customers to bring reusable shopping bags, improving waste sorting at source, and strengthening post-consumption packaging collection and recycling are essential steps to close the product life cycle and build a more sustainable consumption ecosystem,” Thang said.

Retailers have increasingly adopted measures to reduce plastic waste while encouraging more sustainable shopping habits.

Central Retail Vietnam announced that it has completed the conversion of 100 per cent of plastic carrier bags at checkout counters to biodegradable alternatives, while more than 90 per cent of packaging used at its deli counters has been replaced with environmentally friendly materials across its supermarket network.

Chalermchai Pornsiripiyakool, vice president of International Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility at Central Retail Vietnam, said the initiative reflected the company’s commitment to reducing plastic waste and supporting the government’s sustainable consumption agenda.

“We believe this year’s Plastic Bag Free Day campaign will help encourage greener lifestyles and strengthen public awareness of environmental protection,” he said.

Plastic waste remains one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. While a typical plastic bag is used for only around 12 minutes, it can take up to 500 years to decompose. Only a small proportion of plastic waste is recycled, with most ending up in landfills or leaking into the natural environment.

ISPAE estimates that around 430 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally each year, highlighting the urgent need for stronger collaboration between governments, businesses, and consumers to accelerate the transition towards a circular economy.

Other retailers have also introduced a wide range of initiatives to reduce single-use plastics.

Since 2019, MM Mega Market Vietnam has stopped providing free plastic bags at checkout counters nationwide, while encouraging customers to bring reusable bags, reuse cardboard boxes, and participate in waste collection and recycling programmes.

Similarly, Lotte Mart Vietnam has pursued a long-term strategy to minimise plastic waste through green consumption campaigns and continuous improvements to environmentally friendly store operations.

Photo: AEON Vietnam

Meanwhile, AEON Vietnam has implemented multiple initiatives across its shopping centres and supermarkets to reduce plastic bag consumption. In addition to using 100 per cent plastic bags certified under the Vietnam Ecolabel programme, the retailer offers reusable shopping bags, operates bag rental services, introduces bag-free checkout counters, and organises monthly plastic bag-free days.

The company aims for 80 per cent of transactions by AEON member customers to be completed without plastic bags by 2030, as part of its broader sustainability commitments.