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in Vietnam

Cô Tô Island District Says No to Single-Use Plastics From September

With insufficient waste management facilities, many island localities in Vietnam face literal barrages of trash.

in Environment

Saigon Students Win Science Contest Silver Medals for Bodhi Tree Leaf Teabags

Sustainable teabags made from bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa) leaves earned Ngô Trần Thảo My and Nguyễn Thiên Ngân silver medals at an international event that fosters global awareness of environmental i...

in Environment

In Đà Lạt, Greenhouses Revolutionize Farming, but at What Environmental Cost?

Plastic greenhouses in the city of Đà Lạt may protect farmers from the impacts of erratic weather, but the environmental toll of agri-plastics is building in the agriculture-dependent region.

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 Hanoi

NPO Keep Hanoi Clean Prepares to Collect Plastic Waste After Kitchen God Day

Keep Hanoi Clean is preparing for its biggest event of the year: cleaning up Lễ cúng Ông Táo, or Kitchen God day.

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 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

Phu Yen Partners With WWF to Reduce Plastic Waste by 30% in 5 Years

The plan is the result of a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) aimed at reducing non-biodegradable waste.

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 Asia

Indonesia Minister Proposes Taxes to Sugary Drinks, Polluting Vehicles, Plastic Bags

There is a new proposal to tax sugary drinks, plastic bags and cars that release high amounts of carbon dioxide emissions in Indonesia. 

in Environment

Vietnam, Other Mekong Nations Launch Joint Program to Tackle River Plastic Waste

A regional workshop was recently held to discuss plastic pollution in the Mekong River.

in Saigon

2,000 Street Cleaners to Work Through Tet to Collect Saigon's Holiday Trash

Many Saigoneers will celebrate Tet by returning home, traveling to an exotic corner of the globe, or simply breathing in enormous lungfuls of the fresh air of a city with millions fewer residents.

in Asia

Singaporean Scientists Find New Way to Break Down Plastic

It's a brave new world.

in Asia

After Thailand Bans Plastic Bags, Shoppers Turn to Buckets, Pots and Pans

On New Year's Day, tens of thousands of stores throughout Thailand stopped giving out plastic bags free of charge.

in Environment

PM Releases Highly Ambitious Plan to Reduce Coastal Plastic Waste

A highly ambitious new plan aims to dramatically cut down on plastic waste in tourist areas and coastal environments.

in Environment

Environment Ministry Officials Propose Plastic Bag Tax

Would it help break Vietnam's plastic addiction?

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.

in Saigon

Saigon to Remove Single-Use Plastic Items in Government Agencies

Saigon authorities are moving forward with measures to minimize plastic usage in government functions.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Nhậu Roundtable Special & Laiday Refill Station Co-Founder Quyen Nguyen

The new Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!

in Vietnam

As Vietnam Restricts Waste Imports, Plastic Scrap Finds Next Under-Regulated Victim

A new report by environmental NGO Greenpeace shows the ugly truth behind the “musical chairs” game countries are playing in the global plastic waste trade.

in Food Culture

The First Annual Saigoneer Golden Plastic Stool Awards for Best Hẻm Gems

As the planet-wide dumpster fire that was 2018 comes to a close, we’d like to take a moment to look back at the year in Hẻm Gems through our first-ever Golden Plastic Stool Awards. These will honor so...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Saigoneer’s 5 Best Hẻm Gems of 2017

In 2017, Saigon certainly saw its fair share of the good, the bad, and the controversial, but it was without a doubt a wonderful year in eating. Across the city, we delighted in finding decades-old st...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Saigoneer’s 5 Best Hẻm Gems of 2016

We’ve done a lot of eating this year.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Saigoneer's 5 Best Hẻm Gems of 2015

From legendary chicken and rice to finger-licking fried buns to an unbeatable hủ tiếu served with a side of sass, Saigoneer revisits our favorite street eats from 2015. Chúc ăn ngon miệng!