Unsightly pile-up: A woman scouring through a pile of waste on the side of a road in Bac Ninh, east of Hanoi, Vietnam. — AFP
Hanoi: The rapid growth of eCommerce in Vietnam has brought undeniable convenience, yet it also generates mounting environmental challenges, from excessive plastic packaging to increased transport emissions.
With rising consumer awareness and policy shifts, momentum is building to steer the sector toward greener practices.
For years, urban office workers like Hoang Thu Phuong in Hanoi Bach Mai ward have relied heavily on online platforms for everything from food and cosmetics to daily necessities.
But the large volumes of plastic containers, styrofoam boxes, and multilayer packaging have made many rethink their consumption habits.
A 2024 survey by the Vietnam eCommerce Association found that 80% of online shoppers consider eCommerce harmful or very harmful to the environment, while 21% believe its negative impact surpasses that of traditional commerce.
Vietnam’s eCommerce market, valued at US$25bil in 2024 and accounting for 9% of total retail sales, is expected to quadruple to US$100bil by 2030. — Vietnam News/ANN
