There is no denying that inexpensive plastics have made many aspects of food and water distribution much easier, however, emerging research and data from decades of increasing use of plastics suggest that people need to seriously re-evaluate their plastic usage.
It is easy to see that traditional markets are wallowing in an ocean of plastic bags and people seem to be still unaware of the environmental harm these cheap plastics wreak.
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| Using plastic bags to wrap food or fruit is a common habit everywhere |
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| In the countryside or urban areas alike, both buyers and sellers at traditional markets use plastic bags |
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| A street vendor selling plastic products in the Old Quarter of Hanoi (photo: TTXVN) |
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| Vendors use plastic bags of all sizes to wrap or carry things |
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| A sticky rice seller wrapping breakfast in plastic bags for customers to take away |
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| A kilogramme of plastic bags can be bought for VND30,000-40,000 ($1.30-1.74) |
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| Disposable food wrapping is also extremely common everywhere in the country |
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| Garbage bins full to the bursting lining smaller alleys – a typical sight in the cities |
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| Vietnam's plastic problem is exacerbated by the careless habit of littering |
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| During the summer heat, quick iced drinks in disposable cups are extremely popular (photo: TTXVN) |
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| Realising the rising threat to the environment, people are becoming more environmentally friendly, and are more open for biodegradable or environmentally friendly bags. However, can these more expensive alternatives really make a difference? |
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| In early April, some supermarkets in Vietnam have made news by opting to wrap food in environmentally friendly materials like fresh banana leaves, beginning a new trend |
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| However, not every supermarket chains use banana leaves, Vinmart has opted for biodegradable bags instead |
By Tan Duong
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