Spreading the green lifestyle from school to home

Jointly building a green school

At To Hien Thanh Primary School in Ninh Kieu District, the schoolyard is dotted with planters made from old plastic bottles, while colourful recycling bins line the corridors. Similar scenes can be found at Nguyen Du Primary School in Tan An Ward and Le Binh Primary and Secondary School in Cai Rang District, where students, teachers, and parents are joining hands to cut down on single-use plastics and promote a “green living” culture.

During flag-raising ceremonies and weekly class meetings, students learn about the dangers of non-degradable waste and how small actions can make a big difference. They collect trash around campus, classify it by type, and transform discarded bottles into pencil holders or flower pots, activities that blend learning with creativity.

“Plastic waste has become part of everyday life, but it’s also one of the biggest causes of pollution”, said Nguyen Tran Tu Trinh, Vice Principal of To Hien Thanh Primary School. “That’s why we start by changing small habits, avoiding foam containers and nylon bags, sorting waste correctly, and reusing bottles for planting. These steps gradually build a long-term awareness of environmental protection”.

For fifth-grader Nguyen Hoang Phuc Tuong, the lessons have become a passion. “I love sorting trash and planting trees”, he said. “When I see the trees I planted grow, I feel proud that I’ve done something meaningful for the environment”.

At Le Binh Secondary School, the “green school” campaign has been turned into a friendly competition. Each class develops its own environmental initiative, from recycling bottles into flower pots to designing “green corners” for classrooms. The Youth Union and teachers monitor progress monthly, rewarding creative efforts and fine-tuning ideas that don’t work.

“Our class decided to recycle bottles into flower pots”, said Nguyen Van Nghia, a sixth grader. “It’s fun, inexpensive, and makes the school more beautiful. Seeing the flowers bloom from bottles we once threw away feels great”.

From the classroom to the kitchen

What sets Can Tho’s green movement apart is how far its influence travels. The students have become young ambassadors of sustainability, taking their lessons home and reshaping their families’ habits.

At Nghia’s home, his grandparents now tend a small vegetable garden grown in cut-up plastic jerrycans. “I used to buy vegetables every day”, said Nguyen Van Cang, Nghia’s grandfather. “But since my grandson taught me how to plant using old bottles, we have our own clean vegetables, and the yard looks greener too”.

His wife, Le Thi The, added with a laugh: “I used to bring home dozens of nylon bags from the market. Now, after my grandson’s reminders, I use a basket and reusable containers. It was awkward at first, but now it’s a habit”.

Elsewhere in Ninh Kieu Ward, Phan Thi Thuy Trang, mother of student Phuc Tuong, admitted that her family also changed. “Before, we threw all the rubbish into one bag”, she said. “Now we sort it properly. It takes a bit more time, but my child’s reminders really made us rethink”.

The ripple effect even reaches the youngest students. Truong Thien Bao, a second grader at To Hien Thanh Primary School, often reminds his parents to “keep the house green and clean”, echoing the lessons from school. His mother, Le Yen Nhi, said, “My husband and I now reuse bottles to plant flowers. It’s good for the environment and makes our home prettier. Bao even collects cans and bottles to sell for scrap and uses the money to buy school supplies or donate to classmates in need”.

What began as classroom projects has grown into a community-wide campaign. Across Can Tho, schools have turned environmental lessons into daily routines, from reducing single-use plastics to greening their campuses and homes.

Through persistence and creativity, these young students have proven that environmental awareness can start small but ripple far. From classrooms to kitchens, and from planters made of discarded bottles to reusable baskets at local markets, the “green lifestyle” is quietly but firmly taking root in Can Tho, one family at a time.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has tasked the Vietnam Agriculture and Nature News in coordination with relevant agencies and units and the Green Future Fund, with organizing the ASEAN Eco-Schools Vietnam 2025 Awards - “Plastic-Waste Free Schools."

For details, visit the online edition at nongnghiepmoitruong.vn, the Awards website: ecoschool.vn, or contact Journalist Nguyen Quynh Chi, Phone: 0967181555, Email: nquynhchi.00@gmail.com.