Hidden Gem Coffee

“Ten years ago, the river’s water near my hometown used to be clear and we could drink it without any problem. When I returned a year ago, the water was dark, and waste was floating everywhere. It really hurt me. I told myself that something needed to be done.”

We met Tho, founder of the Hidden Gem Coffee, an eco-responsible and zero waste coffee shop in the heart of Hanoi. Here, all the decoration is made from recycled materials : tables with tires, plastic bottles lamps, or bottles transformed into glasses. Furthermore, all drinks have locally sourced ingredients. As a tourist guide for ten years, Tho was able to witness the degradation of some Vietnamese sites, related to the increase of pollution. “Before, we did not throw so easily. Clothes or shoes were passed from one sibling to another, and the market products were wrapped in vegetable leaves. Now people are using plastic bags for everything, which remain for hundreds of years in the environment. ”

According to him, many Vietnamese are not used to throw their waste in the garbage cans. By opening this café, he hopes to make people aware of the impacts of pollution. “If everyone made the effort not to throw their trash in the wild, the rivers would not be so polluted. We have to do something, not just talk and write slogans, but take actions.”