Representatives from hotels and tourism businesses pledged to promote and encourage tourists to participate in a green lifestyle.

Living green is understood as a lifestyle that is environmentally friendly, minimizes harmful impacts on the environment, and is always in harmony with nature. Living green isn't about a grand program or campaign, but rather about how each person lives each day. Simple actions include: knowing how to use convenient appliances; using environmentally friendly household products; saving water; and turning off unnecessary electrical devices when leaving the house.

Ms. Hoang Thi Anh (An Dong Ward, Hue City) shared that for her, living green means using enough water and electricity, and avoiding waste. Currently, when she goes to the market, she uses a plastic basket instead of plastic bags to carry groceries. Every day, she and her family members consciously sort household waste at the source and dispose of it in the designated places. She has taught her children to love nature, to garden, and to plant trees around the house… Occasionally, in the mornings or afternoons, she cycles to exercise and improve her health...

Adopting a green lifestyle inspired by her colleagues, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc (Thuy Xuan Ward, Hue City) said that initially she found it inconvenient not to use plastic bags when shopping, but now it has become a habit. Currently, she proactively brings a basket or cloth bag to the market to carry her purchases, instead of using plastic bags as before. Most of the green decorative elements in her house are made from recycled used items…

In reality, the use of plastic bags, plastic containers, styrofoam boxes, etc., at restaurants and eateries has become commonplace and widespread. Every day, the amount of waste released into the environment becomes uncontrollable. However, on a general level, the green living movement is spreading and expanding from urban to rural areas. Many stores, shopping centers, and supermarket chains in Hue have encouraged customers to "shop green, live healthily" by using biodegradable bags. The supermarkets aim to change behavior and form the habit of bringing personal shopping bags, reducing plastic waste and pollution in the locality. Restaurants, hotels, and tourist accommodations in Hue have now said no to single-use plastic waste and items. Most major tourism brands have committed to advising and encouraging customers not to use plastic bags in their daily lives, but instead to use biodegradable bags and glass bottles for drinking water.

In various localities, a green lifestyle is spreading. Associations and organizations at all levels are implementing activities such as establishing teams to collect scrap and waste materials; exchanging plastic waste for gifts; participating in environmental sanitation, protecting clean rivers and canals; composting waste to make bio-fertilizer, and growing organic vegetables... In addition, many localities have replicated models such as: "Bright, green, clean, and beautiful roads"; "Flower roads"; "Lighting up rural roads"... bringing practical results in implementing the National Target Program for building new rural areas.

Through these activities, the awareness of each organization, unit, and individual about green living is raised, contributing to the preservation of a green, clean, and beautiful living environment.

Text and photos: MINH HOÀI