One week of going (mostly) plastic-free

Last week my girlfriend and I bought metal straws, cloth cup holders and canvas re-usable bags in an effort to cut down on our daily plastic usage.

Plastic is everywhere in Vietnam — order a cup of coffee to go and you get a plastic cup, plastic top, plastic straw and plastic holder so you can hook it to your motorbike. Take-away street food involves tons of plastic too, as does a stop at a convenience store. Our system isn’t perfect yet, but in one week I’ve noticed the difference in using the items mentioned at the top.

We bought the bags and cup holders at Jam Los (49 Cach Mang Thang Tam, and they also have a store in Hanoi), while the metal straws came from Green Around the Corner (23 Street 61, near Tropic Garden in Thao Dien). Glass and bamboo straws are also available, but I find that metal ones don’t impact the taste of what you’re drinking very much.

The challenge since then has been letting cafe and convenience store staff know that I don’t need straws or bags before they get them out. There is growing awareness of the need to reduce plastic waste, as evidenced by groups like Zero Waste Saigon, but many consumers appear to have little concern over how much plastic they’re being given at Family Mart, or how much they throw into a storm drain.

The good thing is that some people seem curious about these products — I bought a smoothie the other day and I was walking out the door with it in my cup holder another customer asked where I had gotten it from. Yesterday the barista at Dolphy Cafe shared that she also had a cup holder when I handed her mine — it’s great to hear stuff like that.

Equally important, though, is businesses wising up to the availability of non-plastic packaging and straws. Places like the Old Compass Cafe and Bunker have already gone plastic-free (I’m forgetting quite a few more), but they are still the exception, rather than the norm.

A huge shift would take place if convenience stores got in the game — there’s one on nearly every corner, and they are hugely popular with young Vietnamese. A reduction in plastic use in that sector would send a valuable message. Instead, they give out tiny, individual plastic spoons every time you buy yogurt, and put your eggs in their own plastic bag separate from everything else.

Until then, we’ll keep fighting the good fight with our humble canvas bags and metal straws.