Greening e-commerce is not only an inevitable trend but also an urgent requirement, starting with the use of eco-friendly packaging, minimizing packing, and applying renewable energy in logistics... to put this market on a path of green and sustainable development.
Rapid growth, but with many negative consequences.
A 2024 survey by the Vietnam E-commerce Association showed that selling $1 billion worth of goods through e-commerce would leave behind 7,600 tons of plastic waste. Online fast-food delivery services using plastic bags and containers release approximately 18,600 tons of plastic into the environment. Notably, cardboard boxes and plastic bags are common packaging materials used for orders. The survey revealed that the clothing, fashion , accessories, and fast-food industries use up to 90% of their orders in plastic bags, boxes, and cups. Furthermore, the majority of orders use foam and bubble wrap as padding materials, accounting for 30% and 35% respectively.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Tuan, Director of the Center for E-commerce and Digital Technology Development, Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy ( Ministry of Industry and Trade ), stated that the amount of waste from e-commerce is five times higher than that from traditional commerce. Even the smallest order is packaged using many materials such as cardboard boxes, plastic bags, and tape... whereas buying directly would use fewer plastic bags and almost no tape or cardboard.
With a growth rate of 18-25% per year, the size of Vietnam's e-commerce market reached US$25 billion in 2024, accounting for 9% of the total retail sales of goods and consumer services nationwide. While contributing two-thirds of the value of the country's digital economy , e-commerce retail also causes many negative consequences. Recognizing this reality, Ms. Le Hoang Oanh, Director of the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy, stated that two main stages of e-commerce negatively impact the environment: packaging, using cardboard boxes, plastic bags, bubble wrap, styrofoam boxes, disposable plastic items, etc.; and delivery, involving transportation vehicles that release large amounts of carbon into the environment.
It is projected that by 2030, when Vietnam's e-commerce market reaches $100 billion, the amount of plastic waste generated could exceed 800,000 tons, requiring significant resources to address this issue.
Where does the greening of e-commerce begin?
According to experts, to overcome the downsides of e-commerce, sellers and businesses need to use environmentally friendly delivery methods; build smart logistics, and optimize transportation and delivery. In addition, the packaging process should encourage the use of recycled packaging, while reducing the amount of packaging used at each stage. Retailers need to implement solutions to change consumer habits towards green delivery.
In reality, logistics is a crucial component of e-commerce; therefore, transitioning to green logistics is an effective way to make e-commerce greener. Optimizing transportation costs not only helps logistics businesses reduce expenses but also significantly contributes to reducing emissions. To achieve this, logistics businesses need to invest in fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly transportation vehicles using renewable energy sources such as electricity, hydrogen, and LNG; utilize smart containers; optimize routes; reduce empty vehicle runs; and digitize warehouse management.
More and more businesses are actively implementing solutions to minimize environmental emissions. For example, GSM Smart & Green Mobility Joint Stock Company launched a delivery service using VinFast electric motorbikes on the Green SM application from the end of 2023. Viettel Post Joint Stock Company has also adopted a "mobile post office" model designed on trucks with data-sharing technology to connect post offices and postal workers. In addition, goods are sorted and routed directly on the truck, and the warehousing and receiving process is carried out via a mobile application to quickly process subsequent stages. With this model, Viettel Post has reduced intermediaries, decreased transportation distance and the number of transfer vehicles by 15%. This reduces environmental emissions, limits the movement of goods, and simplifies the need for shock-absorbing packaging for parcels.
To accelerate green logistics, the Government has approved an Action Program on green energy transition, carbon and methane emission reduction in the transportation sector.
Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Trade's National E-commerce Development Master Plan for the period 2026-2030 also set out solutions to achieve the following goals by 2030: reducing the percentage of e-commerce products using plastic packaging to a maximum of 45%; increasing the percentage of e-commerce products using recyclable packaging to 50%; achieving a rate of at least 40% of businesses applying clean energy in e-commerce logistics; and achieving a rate of at least 50% of businesses applying green supply chain standards for e-commerce.
Furthermore, the draft Law on E-commerce, currently being developed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, has specifically outlined "clean business practices" in e-commerce. In October, this draft law will be submitted by the Government to the National Assembly for consideration and early approval, with the expectation that it will not only address the urgent environmental challenges but also enhance the competitiveness of e-commerce, leading to a sustainable digital economy.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/xanh-hoa-thuong-mai-dien-tu-yeu-cau-cap-bach-de-phat-trien-ben-vung-711298.html
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