Sustainable Living in Saigon: Eco-Friendly Shops & Green Initiatives You Should Know

Updated4 September 2026 · original article published 27 October 2025

If there’s one thing that’s becoming as essential as a morning cà phê sữa đá, it’s sustainable living. Saigon might be famous for its chaotic streets and neon-lit buzz, but woven through the noise is a quietly growing green movement, one that’s all about living lighter, wasting less, and shopping with purpose.

From refill stations to eco-friendly shops and community initiatives, this guide is your passport to sustainable living in Saigon. Let’s take a walk through the city’s greenest gems.

Zero-Waste & Eco-Friendly Shops

Saigon is bursting with independent shops that make going green easier (and honestly, a lot more fun). Whether you’re after refill stations for your kitchen staples, organic skincare, or thoughtful gifts that don’t cost the Earth, these eco-friendly spots will help you swap single-use plastics for smarter, sustainable choices.

1. Happy Tree – Zero Waste Shop

Since June 2022, Happy Tree has been giving Saigon a second chance, literally. It’s a refill station for everyday essentials: think nuts, dried fruit, tea, coffee, soaps, home care, even kombucha on tap.

Bring your own jars, bottles, or bags (or use theirs), and stock up guilt-free. They’ll even take your old containers and give them a new life. Between scooping your own nut butter, trying their fresh pasta, or simply sitting back in their cosy green café, Happy Tree makes zero waste feel fun and easy.

General Information:

• Address: Tropic Garden Apartment (Next to Citimart), 49 Street No. 66, Thao Dien, Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh City
• Phone: 0908 240 949
• Opening hours: Opens daily from 9 AM – 7 PM (closes on Mondays)

2. Leaf Organic

Leaf Organic is a small shop with a big dream: to make clean, chemical-free, organic products the new normal for Vietnam. Here, you’ll find everything from fresh produce and organic staples to household items that are as kind to your body as they are to the planet.

Their philosophy is simple but powerful: living green means living better, longer, and healthier. Every purchase feels like casting a vote for a cleaner Saigon — and who wouldn’t want that?

General Information:

• Address: 7B/8 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
• Phone: 0901 469 786
• Opening hours: Opens daily
  • Mon – Fri: 8 AM – 7 PM
  • Saturday: 8 AM – 6 PM
  • Sunday: 9 AM–5 PM

3. ByNature

Family-run and passionate, ByNature is the kind of place where you feel both cared for and inspired. With over 600 all-natural products, from groceries and beauty items to household supplies, it’s a true one-stop shop for eco-conscious living.

The best part? ByNature partners with local farmers and producers who practise ethical, organic farming. That means fresher goods for you, a smaller carbon footprint, and stronger local communities. Pop in and you might even hear stories about farm visits and behind-the-scenes bonds with suppliers. 

It’s sustainable living with heart.

General Information:

• Address: 18 Truc Duong, Thao Dien, Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh City
• Phone: 0898 682 801
• Opening hours: Opens daily from 9 AM – 5 PM (closes on Sundays)

4. Purr Nature (previously Green Around the Corner)

Purr Nature is a shop with a difference: it doesn’t just provide eco-friendly items, it also rescues stray cats. Yes, you read that right: eco-consciousness with a side of feline compassion.

Expect shelves of natural home and body care products, all locally made with ingredients that are gentle on both you and the planet. At the same time, know that your purchase is helping kittens find food, shelter, and even medical care. Sustainable shopping never felt so heart-warming.

General Information:

• Address: 32 Tran Ngoc Dien, Thao Dien, Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh City
• Phone: 0773 727 024
• Opening hours: Opens daily from 10 AM – 7 PM

Green Initiatives & Co-ops

Beyond the small but mighty eco-shops, Saigon is home to bigger movements and community-led efforts making sustainability a city-wide mission. 

From retail giants reshaping supply chains to grassroots groups rallying neighbours against plastic waste, these initiatives show how collective action is shaping a greener future for all of us.

5. Saigon Co.op

When it comes to scale, few can match Saigon Co.op. With more than 800 outlets nationwide, this Vietnamese retail giant has gone all in on sustainability. From installing recycling stations in supermarkets to rewarding shoppers who bring their own bags, Saigon Co.op is reshaping what it means to buy green at scale.

They’ve also joined EcoHub, Vietnam’s first e-commerce platform for eco-friendly goods, and rolled out programs like “Green Refill” and “Exchange Old for New”. The ambition? To build a closed-loop supply chain where everything from farming to packaging to transport is cleaner, greener, and kinder.

General Information:

• Address: Multiple locations across Saigon
• Phone: Varies by location
• Opening hours: Varies by location

6. Zero Waste Saigon

If Happy Tree is your refill stop and Leaf Organic your healthy hub, then Zero Waste Saigon is the movement bringing it all together. Started by Julia Mesner and Michael Burge in 2017, this fast-growing network educates, inspires, and supports businesses and individuals to ditch single-use plastics.

From introducing bamboo and glass straws to helping over 40 businesses switch to sustainable alternatives, they’re proving that change doesn’t just happen from the top down, it starts with conversations in cafés, classrooms, and community groups.

Join one of their workshops, check out their online shop, or simply get inspired by their message: every small step matters, and Saigon is ready for a greener tomorrow.

General Information:

• Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/zerowastesaigon/?locale=vi_VN 

So, What Does Sustainable Living in Saigon Look Like?

It’s a refill jar clinking in your tote bag. It’s fresh organic veg from a local farm. Or it could simply be your supermarket rewarding you for bringing a fabric bag.

Sustainable living in Saigon isn’t about being perfect. It’s about choosing better, little by little, together. 

So next time you’re out in the city, skip the plastic and say hello to one of these eco-friendly heroes. You’ll find that living green in Saigon is actually really exciting.

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