Green entrepreneurship starting with water hyacinth

A prime example is the An Nhien Huong herbal incense production project, extracted from soursop peel and other medicinal herbs, by Ms. Huynh Le Minh Thu, which excellently won third prize in the Tay Ninh province's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition in 2022-2023.

And recently, the Green Transformation project – transforming water hyacinth into environmentally friendly products to address the problem of excessive water hyacinth growth on the Vam Co Dong River – won first prize in the 2025 Tay Ninh Province Rural Youth Startup Project Competition.

Transforming water hyacinth into environmentally friendly products.

Every year, at the beginning of the rainy season (late April, early May), water hyacinths proliferate and grow vigorously on the Vam Co Dong River, significantly affecting people traveling by river and the development of aquatic species.

Recognizing this situation, for many years, Huynh Le Minh Thu, a biotechnology engineer who loves environmentally friendly products, has been constantly thinking about finding ways to utilize water hyacinth as a raw material, transforming it into souvenir products that protect the environment.

Ms. Thu and her handmade products made from water hyacinth.

Ms. Thu said that she had been nurturing this project for quite some time, but it wasn't until the Tay Ninh Province Rural Youth Startup Project Competition in 2025 that she boldly began researching and realizing her idea.

Utilizing machinery in the production of herbal incense ingredients, Ms. Thu grinds water hyacinth into a fine powder and roasts it with other herbs such as tea leaves, coffee powder, and rose petals to color the product. She then grinds this mixture into a fine powder.

From those raw materials, Ms. Thu mixes them with a type of glue to bind and shape them into a mold. The finished product is then dried and coated with a solution to prevent termites and woodworms, ensuring long-term preservation.

After many days of hard work, Ms. Thu has created many handmade souvenir products with high practical applications in daily life, such as coasters, candle holders, pen holders, and mini plant pots.

Her simple yet meaningful products, linked to the story of "green handmade products," have convinced many people who appreciate environmentally friendly products, aligning with the province's agricultural and tourism development trends.

Sharing her reasons for wanting to start a business with handmade products made from water hyacinth, Ms. Thu said that today's consumers have a high demand for unique souvenir gifts, so this type of gift will meet the needs of all ages, especially young people who have a passion and love for handmade products.

She sent Green Transformation water hyacinth products to friends and relatives to try. Initially, the products received positive feedback from everyone regarding their durability and aesthetics.

Handmade products made from water hyacinth by Ms. Thu.

With positive encouragement, Ms. Thu boldly entered her product into the 2025 Rural Youth Startup Project Competition in Tay Ninh Province. There, she proudly shared her small but meaningful research with the judges and audience. She received many helpful contributions from experts in scientific research and outstanding young entrepreneurs of the province.

The meaningful story of "green transformation" helped the project win first prize in the competition, and she outstandingly became the representative of the province's exemplary young entrepreneurs to participate in the 2025 Rural Youth Entrepreneurship Project Competition organized by the Central Youth Union in the near future.

Working together to build a sustainable green lifestyle.

Currently, tourism in Tay Ninh province is experiencing strong growth, closely linked to the trend of high-tech agricultural development, along with the increasing popularity of "green living" among young people. This provides a foundation for Huynh Le Minh Thu's handmade water hyacinth products to be easily accepted by consumers and tourists.

The Green Transformation project, using environmentally friendly water hyacinth, contributes to raising community awareness about the importance of environmental protection, thereby promoting a more sustainable lifestyle, encouraging creativity in the community, and helping people find new ways to reuse surplus materials.

Ms. Thu believes that nature always holds the most sustainable solutions. Vietnam has abundant plant resources such as water hyacinth, and if exploited correctly, it can not only contribute to reducing waste and protecting the environment but also create economic value and jobs for local workers. This is the entrepreneurial path linked to responsibility for ecological sustainability that she always aspires to.

Chi hopes that the products she creates can gradually replace single-use plastic products, inspire a green lifestyle, promote creative recycling, and, further, become a green OCOP product of the locality, creating a stable source of income for people, especially women and rural youth.

Ms. Thu excellently won first prize in the 2025 Rural Youth Startup Project Competition of Tay Ninh province.

"Green consumption" It is becoming a trend in many countries around the world, especially popular in developed countries and spreading strongly to developing countries with middle-to-high incomes. “Handmade water hyacinth products are a call to action, a way to spread the message of environmental protection to everyone. I named this product Green Transformation, meaning green transformation, hoping that the product will bring about a change in consumer awareness, helping people move towards a sustainable green lifestyle,” Ms. Thu said.

To prepare for the upcoming 2025 Rural Youth Startup Project competition organized by the Central Youth Union, Ms. Thu is striving to improve her product by researching more solutions for processing and reinforcing natural materials to enhance product quality; exchanging ideas and learning from experts and friends… thereby developing the project to build a "green brand" with the unique identity of Tay Ninh.

Linh San

Source: https://baotayninh.vn/khoi-nghiep-xanh-tu-cay-luc-binh-a189827.html