Foreigners see non-consumerism as key to greener living in Vietnam

“To me, green living means recycling and reusing things, and buying products that you don't just throw away,” Dale Washington, who comes from Los Angeles, California, told Tuoi Tre News while visiting some booths during the Vietnam Green Festival 2026 taking place at Phan Dinh Phung Park in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday and Sunday.

He also praised the Vietnamese tradition of reusing things.

“If they buy something at the supermarket, they want a container that they can reuse or something like that.

“I think Vietnam is pretty good at recycling.”

For an Australian couple, who have visited Vietnam for six days, one of the most important aspects of a sustainable lifestyle is non-consumerism.

Instead of buying unnecessary products, they carefully consider what they purchase.

Paula Bradley asserted that she and her husband, Gregory Evans, always pay attention to where products come from, what materials they are made of, how they are produced, and whether workers are treated fairly when buying a product.

“I think Australia is pretty big on that anyway. We're really aware of what we buy,” she said.

Their practices could be adopted in Vietnam to help build a greener society.

Solutions for cleaner Vietnam

To make Vietnam a more sustainable nation, Silvio Höhne, a visitor from Germany, emphasized the importance of joint efforts by the government, businesses, and residents.

“These stakeholders must step up their efforts and work together to manage waste effectively," he said.

“Just a few people cannot make the whole country clean, so it is vital for everyone to join hands and adopt greener approaches."

It is very difficult to maintain a green environment with such a large population unless everyone acts responsibly, said the Australian couple.

They suggested that the Vietnamese government should guide residents on how to separate household waste.

“The government should decide how your rubbish will be collected and how your waste will be sorted because people can't dispose of their rubbish, and there's nowhere to dispose of it," Evans said.

“With clear guidance, people could contribute more, helping the country become cleaner more quickly."

The Australian couple also mentioned Japan and Singapore as examples of countries with effective waste management systems.