Be creative with green, environmentally friendly products

Exploiting the green consumption trend, many young people and businesses in Can Tho City have created environmentally friendly handicraft products from local materials such as water hyacinth, corn husks, etc. and have been well received by the market.

Ms. Le Thi Kieu Nga and Art House's eco-friendly products.

Starting with a green idea

Noticing the large amount of discarded paper in art classes, with many sheets only used on one side, Ms. Le Thi Kieu Nga, founder of Art House Can Tho, located at 41 Cach Mang Thang 8 Street, Ninh Kieu Ward, Can Tho City, began to develop the idea of ​​making paper from corn husks, an agricultural byproduct readily available in the Mekong Delta that contains a lot of cellulose (the main and most important component in paper production). Putting her idea into action, Ms. Nga and 15 group members and students experimented and successfully produced the paper.

Ms. Le Thi Kieu Nga shared: “First, we mix scrap paper or used paper with finely ground corn husks and a little glue. Then we shake it on a silk screen and dry it to get paper made from corn husks. If you want beautiful, colorful images, you can pick flowers from the garden or use dyes to directly color the paper you want. Paper made from corn husks helps protect the environment and allows for recycling of classroom supplies.”

According to Ms. Nga, making paper from corn husks is not difficult and is environmentally friendly. She and her fellow students use the resulting product to print Dong Ho folk paintings, create watercolor paintings for children, or perform watermarking techniques to create shapes from color directly on the water surface. Beyond making paper, Ms. Nga also utilizes corn husks to make decorative flowers for handbags and bookmarks.

Giving us a tour of her workspace, Ms. Nga excitedly shared: “Besides making paper from corn husks and flowers from corn husks, the group has also expanded its creativity with other natural materials such as sedge grass and water hyacinth to create unique handcrafted products, contributing to meeting the needs of consumers who pursue a green lifestyle and prefer recyclable products.”

The group currently has two locations for displaying and selling products: the Can Tho City Youth Employment Service Center and the Binh Thuy Ancient House. Depending on the intricacy and uniqueness, Art House's handcrafted products range in price from 85,000 to 120,000 VND per item.

Ms. Tran Thi Huong, residing in Tan An ward, Can Tho city, was choosing a handbag made from water hyacinth, decorated with flowers from corn husks, as a gift. She said: “My friends introduced me to Art House, a display point at the Can Tho City Youth Employment Service Center, to find handcrafted products as gifts. I was very impressed and liked the group's handcrafted products because of their aesthetics and creativity. Moreover, the products are made from green materials, which is environmentally friendly.”

Reaching out to the world

Ecoka Joint Stock Company, located in Hamlet 2, Vinh Thuan Dong Commune, Can Tho City, is a manufacturer of environmentally friendly handicrafts made from readily available natural materials in the Mekong Delta such as water hyacinth, sedge, rattan, and bamboo, catering to international customers. The company occupies an area of ​​approximately 6,500 square meters, including workshops, offices, drying facilities, showrooms, warehouses, and packaging areas. It employs around 600 skilled workers with over 20 years of experience and who have received thorough training in green product quality standards.

Mr. Ha Anh Truong, Director of Ecoka Joint Stock Company, said that currently the company has about 300 product designs made from water hyacinth belonging to 5 product categories including: home decor products, kitchenware, pet houses (for dogs and cats), furniture and fashion items (water hyacinth bags, women's handbags, etc.) to meet diverse customer needs.

According to Mr. Truong, through its products, Ecoka aims to provide customers with high-quality products that are safe for health and the environment, contributing to changing consumer habits regarding plastic products and helping Vietnamese handicrafts penetrate the international market.

Ecoka Joint Stock Company's products are made from 100% natural ingredients.

Since the beginning of 2025, the company's products have been actively sold on e-commerce platforms such as Shopee (under the account Ecoka Craft Decor & Fashion) and TikTok (under the account ecokajsc). The prices of the products are affordable for domestic consumers.

Besides domestic consumption, the company's products are popular with international customers and have entered many demanding markets such as the US, Canada, France, Australia, Spain, and the UK... These are countries where consumers highly prioritize environmentally friendly products.

Mr. Truong also connects with other businesses to export more products made from rattan, bamboo, sedge, and rush, aiming to increase the value of handicraft products and create more jobs for workers. Each month, the business produces between 5,000 and 30,000 products, depending on size and design. This generates approximately $100,000 in revenue per month.

Using the humble ingredients of the alluvial plains, through creativity and relentless effort, many young people and businesses in the Mekong Delta have written an inspiring story about the circular economy from local resources.

Text and photos: MONG TOAN

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/sang-tao-with-green-products-environmentally-friendly-a188502.html