Recycling waste into Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns.

Using discarded items like boxes, bottles, and plastic cups, Ms. Tran Thi Thu Trang (Can Giuoc commune, Tay Ninh province) skillfully transformed them into colorful Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns shaped like jellyfish, stars, lions, dragons, and Doraemon, bringing joy and a message of environmental protection to children in rural areas.

Video showcasing a variety of Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns made from plastic waste.

The dream of lanterns made from waste.

Born into a poor rural family, Trang's childhood was marked by Mid-Autumn Festivals without lanterns. The image of children carrying flashlights, or even catching fireflies and putting them in bottles instead of traditional lanterns, is deeply etched in her mind.

Carrying that memory with her, when she had the means, Ms. Trang began donating lanterns to poor children. Initially, she made paper lanterns and bamboo-framed lanterns, but realizing that these types of lanterns were easily damaged, expensive, and required a lot of materials for handcrafted production, she decided to experiment with making lanterns from plastic waste combined with velvet wire – a soft, colorful type of wire covered in velvet.

Accessories to "transform" plastic cup lids into Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns.

From there, "green" lanterns were born: vibrant star-shaped lanterns, floating jellyfish lanterns made from transparent glass lids, pristine lotus flower lanterns, or cartoon designs that appeal to children. Each lantern costs only 30,000 - 50,000 VND, with premium ones costing around 80,000 - 100,000 VND.

The plastic cup lids have been cleaned and decorated with velour.

You may also like

Promoting green consumption habits at TH true mart stores.In response to International No Plastic Bag Day (July 3rd), TH Group is implementing various activities at its TH true mart stores to encourage consumers to bring their own bags, reduce single-use plastics, and spread the circular economy model in the retail sector.

The lantern street, a vibrant Mid-Autumn Festival space in the heart of Cholon, has officially opened.On the afternoon of September 24th, at the intersection of Nguyen An and Nguyen Trai streets in Ho Chi Minh City, the opening ceremony of the lantern street in Cho Lon ward officially took place, creating a vibrant cultural and tourist space that attracted a large number of locals and tourists.

The Mid-Autumn Festival lights up the dreams of underprivileged children.HNN.VN - On the evening of October 4th, the Hue City Youth Center, in coordination with the Social Work Center and the Children's Protection Fund, organized the 21st "Mid-Autumn Festival Night" program - 2025 with the theme "Lanterns Lighting Up Dreams".

The new idea for Trang's lantern collection this year is the magnificent fish-shaped lantern.

"Making lamps from velour wire and plastic waste is not only cost-effective and durable, but also helps reduce environmental waste. I hope the children will cherish this gift not only for its appearance but also for the meaning behind it," Trang shared.

Wire is bent into the shape of a jellyfish's tentacle.

Contributing to the spread of a green lifestyle.

This year, for the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ms. Trang and her relatives "speeded up" production, making thousands of lanterns to meet customer demand. Ms. Trang's recycled lantern business not only provides a stable income but also creates seasonal jobs for many women in the area, especially stay-at-home mothers who can take advantage of their free time to work at home.

Ms. Lam Ngoc Anh (Can Giuoc commune) shared: "Every year I choose to buy lanterns from Ms. Trang for my grandchildren because the designs are beautiful and they have an educational meaning about the environment."

The chick-shaped lanterns are made from a broken balloon or two cup lids placed upside down, combined with velour wire.

United States - Vietnam: Don't miss

Strengthening the friendship between Vietnam and the United States.On July 3rd, as part of the Pacific Partnership - Friends of the Pacific 2026 program, the U.S. Army Pacific delegation, led by Lieutenant General Joel Vowell, Deputy Commander of the U.S. Army Pacific, paid a courtesy visit to the Quang Tri Provincial Military Command.

The U.S. Army Pacific delegation visits the Quang Tri Provincial Military Command.2026 marks the first time the Pacific Partnership-Friends of the Pacific program will be jointly organized in Quang Tri, creating a large-scale cooperation framework with 25 activities.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a copy of the Letter of Credence for the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam.On the afternoon of July 2nd, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters, Mr. Le Cong Dung, Director of the State Protocol and Foreign Interpretation Department, received a copy of the Letter of Credence from Ms. Jennifer Wicks, Ambassador of the United States of America to Vietnam.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ms. Trang plans to open a free workshop on making velvet wire lanterns for elementary school students, incorporating environmental protection awareness content. She is also developing ideas for designing recycled decorative lamps, nightlights, and wind chimes for various festivals throughout the year, such as Christmas and Lunar New Year.

These jellyfish are made from cute, colorful cup lids.

Ms. Trang's model has been highly praised by the Can Giuoc commune government and the local Women's Association for its creativity, humanistic approach, alignment with sustainable consumption trends, and circular economy development.

NGOC PHUC

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/tai-che-rac-thai-thanh-long-den-trung-thu-post813282.html