Eat green
Eat well in Vietnam, waste less plastic
You don’t have to give up street food to travel lighter. A few words of Vietnamese and a reusable bottle go a long way.
8 useful phrases
| Vietnamese | What it means |
|---|---|
| Không lấy ống hút | No straw, please. |
| Không cần túi nilon | I don’t need a plastic bag. |
| Ăn ở đây | I’ll eat here (not takeaway). |
| Mang về | Takeaway. |
| Cho vào hộp của tôi nhé | Please put it in my container. |
| Có nước lọc không? | Do you have (refill) water? |
| Tính tiền | The bill, please. |
| Cảm ơn! | Thank you! |
5 easy habits
- Eat in when you can. A plastic stool on the pavement beats three plastic bags to go.
- Carry a bottle. Many hotels, cafés and hostels will refill it.
- Say no to the straw with iced coffee, tea and juice.
- Bring a small box and a cloth bag for snacks, fruit and market shopping.
- Look for food wrapped in leaves. Sticky rice, rice cakes and many market snacks still come in banana or lotus leaves.
Small swaps, repeated by millions of visitors, add up – especially in coastal towns where plastic ends up on the beach.