Published May 31, 2026
Keeping tradition while cutting plastic — Cẩm Lệ Market chose to change from its everyday rhythms, with vendors ready to commit to Green Stalls from the very first day.
The Vietnamese culture of going to the market has long carried a beautiful sense of community value. Over time, when people think of the traditional market, they have grown all too familiar with the image of the mothers, aunts, and older women vendors whose hands and eyes are tinged with the worries of daily life. Perhaps that image has been etched so deeply into the mind that hardly anyone realizes the traditional market is changing bit by bit, as though a new generation of “new markets” is gradually being born, yet one that is not at all strange to any of us.
Faced with the challenge of how to preserve the market's traditional character from the past to the present while still meeting the criteria for renewal in consumer demand, how to improve and remedy shortcomings in the management of food safety and hygiene from the supply source, of the volume of waste, and above all for the sake of the local environment. The Cẩm Lệ Market Management Board partnered with the project team to roll out the Green Stall initiative at Cẩm Lệ Market, a decision that changed the everyday rhythm of life for local residents and brought many fascinating surprises during its implementation with the project team.
The first thing that comes to mind about a traditional market is precisely the doubts surrounding the story of supply-source management and food safety and hygiene. Then comes the handling of waste at the market's covered hall in particular and the management of the market's waste in general. Cẩm Lệ Market, after many meetings to clarify these concerns, went through many careful consultation meetings with the project team's experts to agree on an implementation plan. The project team and the Market Management Board, which had only just been established at that time, all felt an invisible weight but were no less eager before this challenge that, though difficult, was full of meaning.
Should tradition be preserved or renewed?
From the first days of surveying and deciding how to realize the aspiration — from a plastic-free stall to shoppers ready to join in using their own personal bags — the project team had imagined many scenarios for cases such as vendors not being ready or residents not yet clearly aware of the impact of waste, and so on, because tradition has long been hard to renew. Yet, surprisingly, when the vendors approached the initiative, as many as 10 stalls were very willing and determined to follow the operating commitment upon registering for a plastic-reducing Green Stall. A very favorable start, with each individual responsible and proactive, just as if they had been ready for a very long time!
It is truly no exaggeration to say that Cẩm Lệ Market, in its period of transformation, received a great deal of trust and encouragement from the very people here, cooperating and joining forces to enhance the shopping experience for all. Beyond mere managerial renewal, Cẩm Lệ Market can be proud of harmonizing the traditional character of market life with integrating the sustainable trend, backed by the support of its vendors.
Green, not coming from the project alone
Bustling with a green vitality
Amid the daily hustle and bustle of Cẩm Lệ Market, the Market Management Board diligently made efforts to take part in a capacity-building training course with the project team. No longer the old manual methods of implementation, replacing them with “green” skills in managing the covered market hall, the Management Board pioneered change to upgrade their capacity, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent activities to proceed smoothly and effectively.
Accompanying the Market Management Board in an awareness-raising session focused on the communication strategy to deploy the green stall model and reduce plastic use. The project team always sensed the resolve in their confident eyes and their questions that were extremely close to reality. At the preparation stage, it was the Management Board itself that helped the strategy succeed halfway. More than anyone, the project team understood that without this deep care, it would surely be impossible to green the rhythm of life at the market from the project's strategy alone.
Rarely does one witness such wholehearted dedication as at Cẩm Lệ Market in the effort to completely revolutionize a traditional market. Not only thinking about the interests of the stall owners themselves, but also including the interests of the customers who regularly visit the market. Alongside this, Cẩm Lệ also had a thoughtful Management Board that prepared 150 specially designed mesh bags. These bags, in an attractive green color and of outstanding durability, were handed directly to those who visited Cẩm Lệ Market. Serving to encourage environmentally friendly activities and to express sincere gratitude toward the market's loyal customers, these reusable bags played a role in marking the phase in which Cẩm Lệ Market stepped into a new rhythm of life — a green rhythm of life that is far more sustainable and far lower in emissions than before.
The success of the green stall initiative at Cẩm Lệ Market demonstrates the power of collective action in solving the long-standing problem of plastic waste at traditional markets. Drawing motivation from the support of the vendors, carrying out training programs, raising awareness, and providing practical alternatives, Cẩm Lệ Market can be said to be a positive example of empowering change, spreading more green, reducing more plastic! Cẩm Lệ Market's commitment to reducing plastic waste not only benefits the environment but also contributes to building a greener future for generations to come. Together, we can create a significant impact and build a safer and more sustainable community for everyone.
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