A new environmentally-friendly form of packaging which uses banana leaves in place of plastic is catching on in Asia.

The packaging has become a feature at many supermarket chains in Vietnam, inspired by a supermarket in Thailand which went viral for the ingenious idea.

Rimping supermarket in Chiangmai, Thailand became a Facebook sensation with eco-friendly customers who admired the plastic replacement.

Vietnam is renowned for being one of the biggest polluters of the oceans thanks largely to huge amounts of single-use plastics used across the country. 

And supermarket bosses have now adopted Rimping’s invention, including Lotte Mart, Saigon Co.op and Big C.

Customers at Lotte Mart’s store in District 7 of Ho Chi Minh were surprised to see the revolutionary new packaging on products such as scallions, ocra and various other vegetables.  

A spokesman for the company told VnExpress that the supermarkets are trialling the packaging with a view to rolling it out nationwide in a bid to reduce plastic waste.

The Vietnamese publication quoted a local resident named Hoa: “When I see vegetables wrapped in these beautiful banana leaves I’m more willing to buy in larger quantities. I think this initiative will help locals be more aware of protecting the environment.”

The supermarket aims to even use the banana leaf packaging for meat products as well as all fruit and vegetables. 

Rival company Saigon Co.op is following suit, using banana leaves to wrap vegetables at stores in Ho Chi Minh, Phan Thiet, Tay Ninh, Quy Nhon and Tam Ky.

And Big C supermarkets last weeks introduced a month-long trial of banana leaf packaging with a view to rolling the new system out nationwide.

Vietnam is under pressure to reduce its environmental impact. Official statistics reveal the country disposes of 2,500 tonnes of plastic every day, and is the fourth biggest culprit for dumping plastic in the ocean globally. 

• Read: Grocery store shames plastic use with embarrassing bags

What do you think of the new banana leaf packaging? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Oli Gross

Oli’s career and personal ethical values both help shape his reporting of the diverse world of veganism. His background is in local newspaper and magazine journalism, and his work has included reporting court cases, celebrity interviews, business analysis, food and drink features and government legislation.

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