Green tourism in Da Nang: Creative recycling projects

“Reuse Station” where waste tells a new story

In Da Nang, the introduction of the zero-waste model and community education centers has brought about remarkable impressions.

Among them, the “Reuse Station” in the Triem Tay community-based tourism village stands out as an effective solution to reduce waste for suburban areas.

Ms. Pham Minh Tu, a member of the waste-recycling project, has been involved in the “Clean Recycled Soap” and “Fabric for Life” models since graduating from university in 2017.

According to Ms. Tu, the “green soap” model means recycling single-use hotel soap by treating and pressing it into new soap bars which are then donated to people in need.

Thanks to the model, hundreds of kilograms of soap from luxury hotels have been reused instead of discarded, contributing to reducing waste in the environment.

Not only soap, members of the project also collect tons of organic waste and leftover food from restaurants and hotels in Hoi An and neighboring areas. The waste is transported to a processing site and composted into organic fertilizer used for medicinal herb gardens in Triem Tay.

Additionally, they gather textile leftovers from tailors and hotels, and then clean and redesign them into handmade handbags and wallets.

This initiative not only reduces waste but also shares benefits with disadvantaged communities in mountainous areas, and creates job opportunities for people with disabilities and women in vulnerable circumstances.

The “Reuse Station” in Triem Tay also introduces eight types of eco-friendly cleaning products and is a place for tourists, students and young people to visit and learn about waste recycling and environmental protection.

Plastic-free from reception area to kitchen

The zero-waste mindset has spread strongly among tourism businesses. The An Villa, located in Hoi An Dong Ward, is a typical facility that completely says no to plastic waste, including takeaway coffee cups and plastic bottles.

Instead, the hotel produces natural mosquito sprays using essential oils combined with vinegar and 90-degree alcohol. It also uses citrus peels to create hand-washing enzyme liquid and natural laundry detergent which all are eco-friendly products.

Meanwhile, The Field Restaurant under the Emic Hospitality in Hoi An Dong Ward processes daily fruit waste by grinding, adding sugar water and fermenting it for 90 days to create enzyme cleaners.

This enzyme product is then used for mopping floors, disinfecting surfaces, and cleaning restrooms, while the remaining residue is turned into fertilizer for green plants.

Thanks to its efforts, The Field Restaurant was awarded the "Low Carbon Emission" certification by Magnus International Thailand in 2024.

In fact, many restaurant and accommodation providers across Da Nang, including Silk Sense, An Villa, La Siesta, EMM Hotel and Rose Travel, have been adopting zero-waste solutions that generate meaningful value for sustainable tourism and strengthen the regional tourism value chain.