Seminar promotes turning plastic waste into new resources

A panel discussion at the seminar called “Plastic hero leaves zero waste” was held in HCM City on October 24. — VNS Photo Nguyễn Diệp

HCM CITY — Waste or resource depends on how we treat it, attendees heard at a seminar held in HCM City on Wednesday to raise awareness about plastic waste collection and recycling.

With the theme “Reborn journey - For a green Việt Nam”, the seminar “Plastic hero leaves zero waste” was organised by Suntory Pepsico Việt Nam in collaboration with HCM City-based Văn Lang University (VLU) and VietCycle.

Đỗ Thái Vương, deputy director in charge of the External Affairs and Communications Department at Suntory PepsiCo Việt Nam, said the company is a market leader in packaging in the beverage industry, aiming for productivity and sustainable.

The company constantly strives for sustainable development goals, making a positive impact on society and the environment, he said.

“In addition to promoting new initiatives, we believe that education and raising public awareness are important foundations, especially for young people, to create meaningful change,” he said.

Võ Văn Tuấn, vice-rector of VLU, said for the first time the university has been named in the 2024 Impact Rankings released by the UK magazine Times Higher Education (THE), placed in the 801-1000 group.

The Impact Rankings is the only global performance table that assesses universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“This achievement derives from the efforts of lecturers, staff and students of the whole university. We hope to widely spread the message of sustainable development among students, businesses and the community,” he said.

The seminar is expected to equip VLU students with deep knowledge about environmental protection, especially plastic waste.

Nguyễn Thi, a lecturer at the University of Natural Resources and Environment under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said plastic is not a crime.

Many people see “plastic” as the villain of the environment as evidenced by an increased awareness and more efforts to ban single-use plastics.

Plastics have a wide range of direct and indirect benefits and are used in different industries, such as medicine, agriculture, and retail food and beverage.

“Plastics play a significant role in driving growth, and encouraging recycling behaviours is always the best answer because resource efficiency and maximisation is the solution to industry’s resource scarcity and environmental sustainability problems," Thi said.

Nguyễn Thanh Quang, Engineering and Packaging Manager at Suntory Pepsico Việt Nam Beverage, agreed with Thi's point that consumer behaviour is the key success factor, and society should promote waste sorting and collecting.

“We are all connected as we are sustained by nature and water,” he said, adding that Sunstory strives to create harmony with people and nature.

He also noted that for sustainable packaging innovation, the problem is not plastic, but rather the key is to use recyclable, compostable, biodegradable or reusable materials.

“Sustainability is not a trend. We should have a comprehensive plan and collaboration of the entire society,” he said.

Văn Lang University students participated in a waste sorting game at the seminar called “Plastic hero leaves zero waste” held in HCM City on October 24. — VNS Photo Nguyễn Diệp

Takashi Hirano, senior general manager of the Sustainability Management Division at Suntory Holdings Limited in Japan, said Japan’s plastic bottle collection and recycling rate is very high compared to other countries. Plastic bottles are effectively used as a ‘resource’.

“We will always protect the ecosystems that deliver water because our ecosystem is the wellspring,” he said.

By 2030, Suntory Group aims for 100 per cent sustainable plastic bottles including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.

Hoàng Đức Vượng, chairman of VietCycle, said with more than 20 years of experience in plastic waste collection and recycling, the company has received support and cooperation from state management agencies, and domestic and international organisations to build a circular economic model, combating waste pollution and saving resources.

According to a report in 2021, Việt Nam generates more than 8,000 tonnes of plastic waste per day, equivalent to about 2.9 million tonnes a year, and the number continues to increase.

The company has made efforts to build a nationwide waste collection network, called XanhNét, to support the livelihoods of informal workers, closely cooperating with recyclers, while sharing benefits and spreading its vision, Vượng said.

“XanhNét's ecosystem of informal collectors is called green warriors. We would like to create strong connections with its members and pioneer in sharing knowledge,” he said.

XanhNét now has more than 3,500 informal collectors and over 26 recycling factories across the country. — VNS