The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment reports that Vietnam generates approximately 1.8 million tons of plastic waste annually. The country uses about 31.4 billion plastic bags each year, with only 17% of them being recycled (2018 data). In Hue City, GO! Hue supermarket (Central Retail Vietnam) estimates using around 8,000 plastic bags daily, while Co.op Mart Hue (Saigon Co.op) uses about 3,100 bags per day. During the 2023 "Plastic-Free Week" event in Hue, 19,000 plastic bags were reduced throughout the event.

Under the theme "Green Shopping, Clean Living," the "Plastic-Free Month" event encourages consumers to proactively reduce plastic bag usage by bringing their own bags, using environmentally friendly bags, or reusing plastic bags.

At the opening and launch of the Plastic-Free Month event in Hue, a representative from the Thua Thien Hue Department of Natural Resources and Environment made a speech.

Participating in the event:

- GO! Hue supermarket (Central Retail Vietnam) will refrain from providing plastic bags at the checkout counter every Wednesday from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, starting July 3, 2024, until the end of July 31, 2024.
- Co.op Mart Hue (Saigon Co.op) will refrain from providing plastic bags at the checkout counter all day every Wednesday, starting July 3, 2024, until the end of July 31, 2024.
- Customers visiting these supermarkets during the event are encouraged to bring their own bags for shopping. Additionally, customers can use available cardboard boxes at the supermarket or purchase environmentally friendly reusable bags at discounted prices as alternatives to plastic bags.

The launch event of the "Plastic-Free Month" on the morning of July 3, 2024, at GO! Hue supermarket (Central Retail Vietnam) showcased the commitment of both GO! Hue and Co.op Mart Hue (Saigon Co.op) to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags and plastic items during shopping. The supermarkets presented their plans to reduce plastic usage and single-use plastic bags in the coming months.

Speaking at the Plastic-Free Month event, Ms. Hoang Ngoc Tuong Van, project manager of the "Hue Urban Plastic Reduction Project in Central Vietnam," emphasized: "The Plastic-Free Month event in 2024 follows the success of the Plastic-Free Week event held in 2023 in Hue City to enhance consumer awareness and change behavior in reducing single-use plastic. We hope that every citizen will take a small step to reduce plastic bag usage when shopping, aiming to create a significant change and contribute to building a 'green shopping' habit, promoting a circular economy, and fostering a sustainable environment. This initiative aims to make Hue City brighter, greener, and cleaner, becoming a leading plastic-reduced urban area in Central Vietnam."

Ms. Hoàng Ngọc Tường Vân, project manager of the "Hue Urban Plastic Reduction Project in Central Vietnam," shared insights about the project and called for participation in the Plastic-Free Month initiative.

From Saigon Co.op (Ho Chi Minh City Union of Trading Cooperatives), Ms. Dương Thị Tuất, Director of Co.opmart Hue Co., Ltd., expressed: "Following the success of 2023 and aiming to spread the environmental protection message to more people, Co.opmart Hue is honored to collaborate with WWF to organize the 2024 Plastic-Free Month. This year, the duration will be extended compared to 2023. Although these are small actions in the journey of environmental protection, we believe that collective efforts from individuals and organizations will create significant environmental changes. Co.opmart Hue looks forward to the support and cooperation of agencies, units, organizations, and customers alike in building community values together."

At the launch event of the "Plastic-Free Month," the leadership representative of Co.opmart Hue Co., Ltd. pledged their commitment to support the program.

Mr. Chalermchai Pornsiripiyakool, Vice President of International Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility at Central Retail Corporation, shared: "Since our early days in Vietnam, Central Retail has continuously strived to fulfill its role as a responsible retailer towards the environment and society. As a member of the Retailers' Alliance for Plastic Reduction, Central Retail is always ready to collaborate with partners and stakeholders to effectively promote societal goals, enhance consumer awareness in reducing plastic bag usage, and encourage positive shopping behaviors. This is why GO! Hue supermarket, a member of Central Retail, actively supports the 'Plastic-Free Month' in Hue City. Alongside organizing today's event, we will continue our communication efforts at GO! Hue supermarket throughout the month, every Wednesday morning. We hope that consumers in Hue, as well as domestic and international tourists visiting GO! Hue during this period, will strongly support this initiative, thereby further raising environmental awareness."

The launch event of the "Plastic-Free Month" attracted a wide range of participants including representatives from government agencies, social organizations, businesses, and residents. The organizers acknowledged and appreciated innovative contributions from individuals, organizations, and businesses in minimizing plastic waste. They also presented certificates and commemorative gifts to actively participating units.

Leadership representatives from the province, WWF organization in Hue, and accompanying units pressed the button to launch Plastic-Free Month in Hue.

'

Mr. Phan Thien Dinh, Secretary of the Hue City Party Committee, presents certificates and commemorative gifts to units actively participating in the event.

The leader of the "Straw Journey" project shares initiatives for reducing plastic bags.

The event "Plastic-Free Month" concluded successfully with extensive participation from individuals, organizations, and businesses. Following the launch ceremony, delegates and guests visited GO! Hue and Co.opmart Hue supermarkets to experience the activities of "Plastic-Free Month," gaining further insights into the harmful impacts of plastic waste and the significance of environmental conservation. This initiative aims to enhance community awareness and encourage behavioral changes in consumption habits. With collective efforts from individuals, organizations, and businesses, it is hoped that Hue can mitigate plastic waste issues and move towards a greener, cleaner, and more beautiful environment.

The project "Hue Urban Plastic Reduction Project in Central Vietnam" is supported by WWF-Norway (through WWF-Vietnam) and endorsed by the People's Committee of Hue City. Its objective is to assist the city in protecting rivers and the ecosystem of wetlands and coastal areas from plastic pollution. This is achieved through a series of interventions involving public-private partnerships, civil society organizations, and local communities, aiming to reduce plastic waste leakage by 30% by 2024. The project spans 4 years, from 2021 to 2024, divided into two phases: the project initiation phase (2021) and the implementation phase (2022-2024).