Green products are more affordable, right?

Green products were introduced on the sidelines of the workshop 'Green products and services - Orders from users', within the framework of the Green Vietnam 2025 project, taking place on March 27 in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: QUANG DINH

That was the proposal of both consumers and experts at the workshop "Green products and services - orders from users", organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper in collaboration with the Vietnam Packaging Recycling Alliance, the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union and accompanying units on March 27.

Cost barriers of green products

In the green space at the workshop, many consumers had the opportunity to experience green products and services from manufacturers participating in the Green Vietnam program.

Holding in her hands fabric products made from recycled materials, Ms. Nguyen Thu Huyen (living in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) said she was very surprised that many materials that were thought to be discarded such as coffee grounds and sugarcane bagasse were used to produce fabrics to make handbags, clothes, socks, etc., which were displayed at the workshop.

According to Ms. Huyen, in recent years, her family has prioritized using green, recycled products, but in reality, the prices of these products are often higher than other products without the "green label".

Therefore, Ms. Huyen expressed her wish that manufacturers reduce the selling price of products to make them more affordable for people. Also at the workshop, many consumers said that in reality, there is a large price difference between products with "green labels" and normal products, with some items even being 5-6 times more expensive.

"Consumers always want to use green products, but it is difficult for the majority of people when there are vegetable products introduced as being produced according to green processes, sold in supermarkets at prices of 40,000 - 50,000 VND/kg while in the market the same type of vegetable costs only 10,000 VND/kg," Ms. Tran Thi Ut asked.

Delegates discuss at the workshop 'Green products and services - Orders from users', within the framework of the Green Vietnam 2025 project, organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper in coordination with other units on March 27 in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: QUANG DINH

Responding to this issue, Dr. Duong Van Thinh, advisor to the Green Leadership Community (GLC), said that businesses are under great pressure to invest in green technology, pressure to comply with regulations and fierce competition in green transformation.

However, the rate of acceptance and conversion to sustainable purchasing behavior is still low because green products have high production costs, requiring manufacturers to make more efforts to reduce costs.

"Technology is the key factor, so to reduce costs, businesses need to improve technology and further reduce costs to bring green product prices closer to people's affordability," said Dr. Thinh.

Meanwhile, Ms. Dang Huynh Uc My, Chairman of the Board of Directors of TTC AgriS, said that it is important to invest properly, apply technology and optimize production and cultivation processes to help reduce product prices. "When investing properly from the beginning, the value of the product will increase and production costs in later stages will be significantly reduced," Ms. My said.

Join hands to make green products more affordable

As a direct producer of green agricultural products, Mr. Dang Duong Minh Hoang, director of Thien Nong Binh Phuoc farm, said that consumers always want green products with the criteria of "delicious, nutritious, cheap" while businesses want to optimize costs and profits, and the Government must also achieve commitments to reduce emissions.

Therefore, it is necessary to have the cooperation of all parties involved in the supply chain. "In particular, gardeners need to apply technology, use renewable energy, and ensure safety criteria in production to create green products at prices acceptable to consumers," said Mr. Hoang.

Mr. Su Ngoc Danh, director of Signify Vietnam's specialized channel, said that green products still cannot compete equally with products manufactured by traditional methods because they have not achieved equal value in terms of cost, efficiency, and usage value.

Therefore, Mr. Danh suggested that businesses need to choose the right market segment, such as focusing on exporting to markets with high standards, where consumers and partners are willing to accept and support sustainable products.

Foreign tourists listen to an introduction of environmentally friendly products at the Green Vietnam festival organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper in coordination with other organizations in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: QUANG DINH

According to Mr. Huynh Thanh Tuan - Director of Quality Management of Saigon Co.op, the survey results of this unit show that when accepting to pay more for green products, consumers tend to choose reputable businesses and points of sale, where there is a strict control process. However, there are still cases where customers doubt the transparency of products, not only with green goods but also with many other products.

This requires distributors to have appropriate solutions to strengthen consumer confidence. "Distributors must clearly communicate product quality control processes to help customers understand and feel more secure when choosing to buy green products," said Mr. Tuan.

Children receive gifts made from environmentally friendly materials at the Green Vietnam festival organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper in coordination with other organizations - Photo: QUANG DINH

Ms. Dang Huynh Uc My believes that if businesses only focus on cutting input costs, they may face increased output costs, which is not a sustainable strategy. Therefore, according to Ms. My, applying technology to agriculture is an inevitable trend, because only technology can help measure and prove the green farming process, create transparency for consumers and increase product value.

"If the input materials do not meet the standards, the next products in the supply chain will face more challenges. Recognizing the important role in the agricultural value chain, we put pressure on ourselves to ensure clean and green production, accompanying farmers in sustainable development," said Ms. My.

Green product consumption grows 15%/year

Consumers play an important role in promoting green production, motivating businesses to develop sustainably - Photo: Q.DINH

According to Dr. Duong Van Thinh, a report by the Ministry of Industry and Trade shows that the demand for green products in Vietnam will grow by an average of 15% per year in the period 2021 - 2023.

72% of Vietnamese consumers are willing to pay more for green products, showing people's increasing awareness and concern for environmental protection.

Meanwhile, a report by New York University (USA) also showed that products labeled "green" had sales growing 5-6 times faster than regular products in the period 2013-2018.

* Journalist NGUYEN KHAC CUONG (deputy editor-in-chief of Tuoi Tre newspaper):

Green Vietnam 2025 is everyone's journey

In the context of increasingly serious climate change, depleted natural resources and pressure from consumers demanding environmentally friendly products, green production is no longer an option but has become a mandatory requirement for all businesses.

As a media agency, since 2024, Tuoi Tre newspaper and the Vietnam Packaging Recycling Alliance have initiated the Green Vietnam project with the support of many agencies and units.

The project includes many different activities such as workshops, festivals, green factory exploration, green running... which have contributed to spreading green initiatives, motivating businesses to transform. We aim to not only provide transparent information about green products, but also inspire trust and support from the community to encourage businesses to act faster to meet the increasing expectations of consumers.

In 2025, with the theme "Promoting green consumption", the project aims to turn green consumption into a lifestyle, an inevitable trend in society. Green Vietnam 2025 is not only the story of businesses or the government, but also the journey of all of us - conscious consumers.

* Ms. NGUYEN THI PHUONG HA (Vice President of Vietnam Packaging Recycling Alliance - PRO Vietnam):

Committed to accompanying Youth

Not only pioneering in promoting packaging collection and recycling, PRO Vietnam also supports businesses in applying circular production models to optimize production processes, reduce environmental impacts and improve economic efficiency, contributing to creating a strong circular economic ecosystem. In this journey, we believe that communication plays a key role in changing awareness and promoting action.

That is the reason why PRO Vietnam continues to accompany Tuoi Tre newspaper in the Green Vietnam 2025 project. This cooperation not only helps spread the values ​​of the circular economy closer to the business community and consumers, but also creates motivation to connect and mobilize the cooperation of all stakeholders, promoting systemic changes.

As a co-organizer of the project, PRO Vietnam and its members are committed to accompanying Tuoi Tre newspaper in implementing and spreading meaningful activities of Green Vietnam 2025.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/san-pham-xanh-co-gia-mem-hon-duoc-khong-20250327221141972.htm