HCM CITY — Discarded wheels, wheel parts and plastic items have been turned into interior decorations at a Hà Nội shop.

Located on a small alley off Hàng Tre Street in Hà Nội’s Old Quarter, 95 per cent of the items at the Hidden Gem Coffee have been recycled. The coffee shop has four floors and each has a distinctive design.

Nguyễn Văn Thơ, the owner, explained that the name of the café represents its core value. "It comes from the teaching of my grandmother that we should not hastily throw anything away, but consider it carefully, and maybe we can discover its unexpected values."

Thơ’s motivation in opening the café using recycled objects was also rooted in a desire to do his bit to protect the environment.

The café use bamboo and stainless steel straws instead of plastic, throwaway ones.

Many discarded plastic bottles have been used to decorate the ceiling, creating an eye-catching look.

"I want to do something to protect the environment, and this sparked the idea of a recycled café,"  Thơ said. — VNS