“No Plastic Bag Day” and “No Plastic Bag Month”

According to San Jose Recycles, over one million plastic bags are used every minute worldwide. These bags account for 90% of the trash floating in the ocean and take between 500 to 100,000 years to degrade. In response to the excessive use of single-use plastic bags, Central Retail Vietnam partnered in 2024 with the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment and the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade to launch the “No Plastic Bag Day” campaign at Big C Thang Long in Hanoi. The initiative encouraged consumers to reduce plastic bag usage by promoting eco-friendly cloth bags. As part of the campaign, customers who brought their own bags received complimentary cloth bags and small gifts to reinforce the habit of sustainable shopping.

Expanding the effort beyond the capital, Central Retail Vietnam collaborated with the “Hue – Urban Plastic Reduction” project, supported by WWF-Norway and implemented by the Hue Municipality, to initiate “No Plastic Bag Month” at GO! Huế. Every Wednesday throughout July, the store stopped distributing plastic bags, engaging both local residents and tourists in a collective movement to reduce plastic waste.

Central Retail acknowledges that the retail industry is a major contributor to plastic pollution. As part of its ReNEW environmental strategy, Central Retail Vietnam has introduced sustainable packaging alternatives across GO! and Big C supermarkets. These include eliminating plastic straws, replacing plastic bags with biodegradable ones made from cornstarch and potatoes, and using banana leaves instead of plastic to wrap vegetables. In collaboration with more than 30 suppliers, fresh food packaging has transitioned to biodegradable materials. Additionally, several organic products—such as rice and coffee—are now packaged in paper to further reduce plastic usage.

Taking environmental innovation a step further, Central Retail Vietnam signed an agreement with Sparklo Clean Tech to deploy Sparklomat smart recycling machines across its GO! store network. These machines collect plastic bottles and cans, which are then sorted, washed, crushed, and transformed into new products. The recycling process reduces carbon emissions by 55%, energy use by 50%, and oil consumption by 20%. Customers who recycle through these machines receive reward points that can be redeemed for discounts and promotional offers in-store.

Central Retail Vietnam firmly believes that responsible business practices must generate positive environmental and social impact. The Company emphasizes that collaboration among government agencies, private organizations, communities, and consumers is essential to fostering a sustainable consumption ecosystem and building a better future for the planet.