HCM CITY — Many activities and environment projects are being carried out under the "Green Products Consumption Campaign” in HCM City, which has since 2010 sought to improve people’s awareness of environment protection.

Organised by Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (Liberated Sài Gòn) newspaper, the departments of Industry and Trade and Natural Resources and Environment, and Saigon Co.op until June 30, the event encourages businesses to be more socially responsible, caring for the environment and consumers’ health, and the public to consume eco-friendly products.

Volunteers will go to residential areas around the city to educate and help the community identify and consume products made by businesses that fully comply with environmental regulations.

Supermarkets will display “green products” and offer discounts on them to promote consumption of those items.

This year, the campaign includes the Green Capacity Project for Community, under which volunteers will visit residential communities to instruct residents in classifying garbage.

They will also liaise with waste recycling units to create eco-friendly products.

The Green Brand is a key programme that will help the community identify green and eco-friendly products through a smart phone application.

There will also be a programme to promote consumption of green products at Co.opmart supermarkets in June. Co.opmart will gift 4,000 “green consumption coupons” to consumers for shopping at its stores.

It will also collaborate with green businesses to run promotions to increase consumption of products made by environment-friendly businesses and encourage consumers to use environment-friendly bags and take part in activities to encourage consumption of green products at Co.opmart stores. 

A representative of Saigon Co.op, which owns Co.opmart, said sales of green products had increased by 50-60 per cent during the campaign.

Phùng Thị Ái Vân, head of the campaign organisation board, said the campaign launched in 2010 has proven effective by raising public awareness of environment protection.

People in Việt Nam increasingly consume environment-friendly products and those meeting hygiene and food safety standards, turning their backs on products made by enterprises causing pollution, she said.

These are positive signals indicating the green consumption trend has taken root, she said. — VNS