There is a growing trend around the world for banning and reducing single-use plastic bags and packaging in supermarkets. Leading this change is China by banning the use of ultra-thin plastic bags back in 2008. Since then, the country had avoided the use of about 40 billion bags and has seen a 66 percent drop in plastic bag use.
Then comes South Korea who recently banned the use of disposable plastic bags. Their ban requires that supermarkets, shops, bakeries, and other commercial points provide recyclable containers, cloth, or paper bags. Also, Singapore, where supermarkets have launched campaigns to reduce plastic bag use in a series of roadshows and discount schemes; and Taiwan who has started charging for single-use plastic bags.
Now, supermarkets in Thailand and Vietnam are turning to nature to find an alternative to plastic bags: banana leaves. They are literally going “green” with their packaging! This switch is only a trial for now. They realized they had to do something because, according to a 2015 study, they are two of the five countries that account for 60 percent of the plastic in the world’s oceans.
So far the trial is getting a massive amount of positive feedback. For instance, a March 21 Facebook post showing how Rimping Supermarket in Chiangmai, Thailand had begun wrapping produce in the durable leaves received more than 7,000 positive reactions. “People seem to like this,” Perfect Homes Chiangmai, the real estate company responsible for the post, wrote in the comments.
Meanwhile, in Vietnam, Lotte Mart has been trialing wrapping vegetables with banana leaves at an outlet in Ho Chi Minh City. The chain said if the trial went well, it would expand the practice to other stores. Responses have been positive here as well. “When I see vegetables wrapped in these beautiful banana leaves I’m more willing to buy in larger quantities. I think this initiative will help locals be more aware of protecting the environment,” Lotte Mart shopper Hoa told VnExpress. Other stores adopting banana leaves include Saigon Co.op and Big C.
Banana leaves are a promising packaging solution for the region because Banana trees are common throughout these countries and can yield leaves as big as 9 feet in length. Their sturdiness makes them a suitable alternative to plastics for the packaging of fresh produce that sells quickly. They can only be used for things that will be on the shelves for a short while because they’re very biodegradable.
There are other creative eco changes that stores are experimenting with to reduce plastic waste. For example, Big C already offers biodegradable bags made from corn powder; and Lotte Mart sells paper straws, boxes made of sugarcane waste, and eggs wrapped in paper instead of plastic. We can only hope these sort of creative solutions continue to spread and happen more frequently because they are desperately needed.
