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in Environment

How the Ghosts of iPhones Past Haunt Vietnam's Low-Income Communities

The current e-waste crisis in Vietnam is one example of global environmental apartheid.

in Society

Diving (Literally) Into Hoàng Hoa Thám's Mountains of Secondhand Clothes

In a hẻm, clothing sprawled out on platforms lined with the plastic sacks the clothing came in, overspilling onto the tarmac road. This was just a glimpse of the thrifting scene in Vietnam.

in Saigon

Inside the Sawdust Alley in D8 Where Old Furniture Goes to Get Repurposed

My lungs began to heave with raspy coughs as I ventured deeper into the alley of 124 Phạm Thế Hiển.

in Architecture

Amid a Resort, This Thatched Hut Houses a Zero-Waste Water-Bottling Plant

A humble production hut built with recycled bottles, local timber, thatched roof and simple granito concrete floors is used as a bottling facility for drinking water.

in Environment

Hanoi Students Create Green Material From Durian Rind to Aid Oil Spill Cleanup

A group of university students has created an aerogel material from durian rind which can help clean up oil spills.

in Environment

Vietnamese Students Win Earth Prize for Dragon Fruit Peel Biodegradable Sanitary Pads

A trio of Vietnamese high schoolers claimed the top prize in the environmental awareness competition The Earth Prize 2022 thanks to their project which turned dragon fruit peels into biodegradabl...

in Environment

Vietnam Might Fine Supermarkets, Malls for Single-Use Plastic Bags in 2026

Large retailers providing single-use plastic bags could be subject to fines beginning in 2026.

in Tech

Ride-Hailing Changed How We Commute. Can Ve Chai-Hailing Change How We Recycle?

Mentions of ve chai might evoke images of uncles and aunties pushing around their cart or perched on bicycles, ferrying a host of plastic bags and scrap metal, and occasionally calling out: “Đồng nát ...

in Environment

Ever Wonder What Happens to Your Plastic Bags? Ask Vietnam's Ve Chai Army.

Lacking an effective official scheme, Hanoi relies on an army of informal workers to recycle its waste — a situation that hasn't changed over the last four decades.

in Environment

A Factory Where 'Dead Plastics' Are Reborn as Contemporary Furniture

Saigoneer arrived at PLASTICPeople’s factory on a Friday afternoon after a long-winded ride on National Highway 1A. The sides of the road we took there were casually strewn with unpruned bushes, depos...

in Environment

Dr. Plastic, the Hanoi Duo Who Give New Life to Single-Use Plastic

Plastic pollution is considered one of the main environmental threats to our planet’s health.

Michael Tatarski

in Ton-sur-Ton

How Local Brand Re.socks Spins Discarded Plastic Bottles Into Comfy Socks

How much thought do you put into socks?

in Saigon

Saigon Aims to Remove Plastic Bags From Supermarkets by Year-End

Have you switched to reusable bags yet?

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Recreation; Sustainable Trends in Hanoi and Saigon

A new Saigoneer Podcast is available now!

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: Hidden Gem, the Cafe that Recycled Knick-Knacks Built

It is difficult to describe Hidden Gem Café without paraphrasing its name, but I have not found a better way to characterize this wonderful establishment.

in Environment

Tracing the Reincarnation of Plastic Waste in Saigon's Informal Recycling Workshops

The text message said to be ready at 4:30am at my street corner, where I would be picked up for the drive to the plastics recycling center. I had been wanting to visit the site for this article and th...

in Food Culture

[Photos] A Saigon Studio Made 'Cơm Tấm' Out of Discarded Styrofoam and Sponges

Are you tired of your trash looking plain-ol' trashy and your food too temporal and foody? 

in Environment

Inside Saigon's Grassroots Carton and Aluminum Recycling Plants

With plastics claiming many of the headlines worldwide and constituting a major issue in Vietnam, scant attention is being paid to other recyclable materials, namely cardboard and aluminum.

in Saigon

Saigon Breaks Ground on First Recycling Plant for Industrial Waste

The plant will be built on a 17-hectare plot in the Da Phuoc Solid Waste Treatment Complex in Binh Chanh District.

in Vietnam

Vietnam Needs Large-Scale Recycling Using Plastic Waste as Resource, Official Says

On October 22, a conference on preventing plastic waste was held in Hanoi by the Vietnam Association for Community Health Education (VACHE), which presented potential amendments to the current environ...

in Environment

Ocean Cleanup to Pilot Trash-Collecting Boat in Can Tho

Ocean Cleanup is a non-governmental organization found by Dutch engineer Boyan Slat, who aims to remove plastic from the ocean using technology.

Michael Tatarski

in Environment

Loài Plastic: To Eradicate Plastic Items, Treat Them as Invasive Species

Amid increasing awareness of the environmental and health dangers of plastic, a creative new group has joined the fight against this global scourge.