The government leader’s praise followed the move by several supermarkets such as Co.op Mart Vietnam, Big C Danang and Big C Hanoi which used banana leaves to wrap foods in an effort to slash plastic waste.

Several supermarkets in Vietnam have used banana leaves to wrap foods in an effort to slash plastic waste.

According to the PM, this is an effective way to mitigate the use and discharge of nylon waste into the environment.

In his letter sent to these supermarkets on April 4, PM Phuc also urged the business community, supermarkets, restaurants and hotels for joint efforts in reducing plastic bags and waste.

Phuc asked the ministries of Natural Resources and Environment, Industry and Trade and Information and Communications to co-operate with agencies to carry out measures to encourage the use of eco-friendly materials.

According to scientists from the Research Institute for the Management of Seas and Islands under the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands, Vietnam annually discards 0.28-0.73 million tonnes of plastic waste into the ocean, accounting for 6% of the world’s total volume.

Only a small proportion of plastic waste in Vietnam has been recycled, and the remainder still exists in the environment and eventually make their way into the ocean.