E-commerce: Growth needs to go 'green' for the environment

In the closing days of 2025, as the hustle and bustle of the shopping season spreads across streets and neighborhoods, it is easy to see parcels carefully wrapped and delivered directly to consumers. Yet behind this convenience lies a growing volume of plastic waste that is quietly accumulating, posing a difficult challenge to the nation’s goal of sustainable development.

The rapid expansion of e-commerce is clear evidence of Vietnam’s digital transformation. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, with an expected growth rate of over 25% in 2025, the e-commerce market is projected to reach a value of 31 billion USD. However, the downside of this growth is a significant environmental impact: for every 1 billion USD in revenue, more than 7,600 tons of plastic waste may be generated.

By 2030, if packaging and consumption habits do not change, oceans and landfills could be burdened with an additional 800,000 tons of waste from parcels alone. In major urban centers such as Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai, recent peak shopping periods have seen a sharp increase in household waste, rising by as much as 15%, even 20%. This challenging reality not only puts added pressure on waste treatment infrastructure but also directly hinders the government’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

We are facing a paradox: a small item, sometimes worth only a few tens of thousands of dong, may be wrapped in layers of packaging that take hundreds of years to decompose. This challenge is an excessive trade-off between personal convenience and social cost.

The downside of e-commerce: plastic waste. Infographic: Quoc Vang

The Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress clearly states: “The environment must not be sacrificed for purely economic growth.” To translate this principle into reality, addressing packaging waste requires a more systematic and decisive roadmap. First and foremost, enforcement of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mechanism must be tightened. Under the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection, e-commerce platforms and manufacturers are required to bear financial responsibility or directly recycle packaging. It is time to apply stronger tax and fee mechanisms to non-recyclable materials to encourage businesses to shift toward “green packaging.”

At the same time, standardizing “green logistics” should be regarded as a key link in the modern supply chain. The State needs leverage policies to encourage postal and logistics enterprises to invest in electric vehicles and biodegradable packaging materials. Major e-commerce platforms should establish “green storefront” standards, turning environmental protection into a criterion for healthy competition.

However, no technical solution or policy will achieve optimal effectiveness without the active participation of consumers. Building a culture of responsible consumption is the most sustainable foundation for long-term success. Each individual must recognize that convenience must go hand in hand with responsibility. Sorting waste at source or firmly refusing excessive packaging is not merely a habit, but a responsibility of every citizen, cadre, and Party member toward the environmental “destiny” of the nation. Only when a shift in mindset becomes voluntary action can we truly safeguard the achievements of development for future generations.

By Truc Son – Translated by Trieu Ngan, Minho