A businessman dreams of bringing green to Hà Nội

Michael plans to stay in Việt Nam indefinitely and hopes to grow old in this beautiful country. Photos courtesy of Michael Hytinen

For nearly a decade, Michael Hytinen, an American expat has stressed that “Việt Nam is my home”. As a key partner at Refillables Đong Đầy since 2022, he leads Refillables Hà Nội and promotes sustainable living in the city with the motto of 'Refill not Landfill'.

Upon arriving in Việt Nam, Michael quickly noticed the stark differences in business and daily life. His initial challenges turned into lessons on adapting to the Vietnamese way of life.

He adjusts his mindset to fit the local culture and by merging this with his education and experience from abroad, he has developed a unique skill set.

Ultimately, he discovers that the harmony between the chaos and tranquillity in Hà Nội feels right to him.

“Việt Nam always presents me with opportunities to learn.

“I feel at home here. I’ve only had this feeling in a few places around the world and learned long ago to honour those feelings. Hà Nội is a place where I can be myself and build the life I want,” he told Việt Nam News.

“When Việt Nam closed the borders during COVID, I was visiting my family in the USA. I had time to think about what I really wanted to do with my life. The dream of bringing Refillables to Hà Nội and making a real difference in the community was all I could think about.

“I’m at a time in my life where I want to do something to help make a difference in the world. Refillables allow me to do that, and every day is a joy.”

Refillables Hà Nội has welcomed business refillers such as Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, Om Yoga and Vegan Cafe, Abracado Vegan Restaurant and Zenith Yoga. Photos courtesy of Michael Hytinen

At Refillables Hà Nội, a key goal is to reduce community waste by offering over 200 package-free, eco-friendly products, including diverse of refilled dried foods, seasonings and clean-eating ingredients like chia seeds and quinoa.

More than 39,000 containers have been refilled so far.

In addition to their refill initiative, it also sells home and personal care products and chemical-free cleaners are a major focus for them in the city this year.

As cleaners made from natural ingredients are healthier for our bodies and Việt Nam also has a long history of making and using those products.

One line of cleaning products is based on the Việt Nam soap nut or soap berry. The other line of cleaners uses a base of a fruit/vegetable enzyme.

“We don’t need more containers at home, we just need what’s inside them.

“Every refill means one container that did not go to a landfill. It might not seem like much, but when communities work together, we can make a huge impact on our world," adds Michael.

He has found that in many parts of the world, environmentally-friendly products are often priced for high-income customers. Even in Hà Nội, many of products like that come with a premium price tag.

Customers have the option to bring their containers or use those provided by the shop, refilling as much or as little as they need. Photos courtesy of Michael Hytinen

To address this, his store strives to ensure that refilling and using eco-friendly products are both welcoming and affordable for everyone, especially products commonly used daily in most households.

Customers are not paying for packaging so the prices are consistently less than they would spend at a typical supermarket.

“We choose to keep our margins low so that we can offer our products to the widest range of consumers possible,” he said.

Even with ongoing efforts and strong customer support at Refillables Hà Nội, he faces significant external challenges in running the business.

Climate change is one of the biggest drawbacks in his trying to keep prices affordable and quality high.

Over the last year, the store has seen similar challenges in food product shortages, from olive oil to rice, due to weather changes.

“A few months ago, the wholesale price of cacao increased 300-400 percent due to the weather in Việt Nam. We sampled lower-priced cacao products, but the quality was far below what we typically sell. We had to make a choice to keep some products and increase the price.

“We also had to choose to not carry some products because the lower-priced options did not meet our quality standards,” he said.

Michael (right) talks to representatives from the Institute of Policy on Natura Resources and Environment and SEA Circular by UNEP about upcoming studies on system changes for Refill-Reuse in Việt Nam. Photos courtesy of Michael Hytinen

Nonetheless, he still believes Việt Nam has huge potential in making it a cleaner and healthier place.

If the public supports his store, he would like to work with his business partners to open more Refillables locations and help bring sustainable living to as many people as possible.

He said: “We have had interest from the Việt Nam government in looking at us as a case study to expand this type of shop around Việt Nam.

“The young people here are aware of the issue of waste and climate change. It will affect their lives and the lives of their children. They know change is necessary.”