PRO Vietnam appoints Mr. Eliseo Barcas to be Vice Chairman of the Coalition

The Packaging Recycling Organization Vietnam – PRO Vietnam officially announces the appointment of Mr. Eliseo Barcas – Managing Director and President, to be Vice Chairman of the Coalition responsible for the Technical Operation Committee at PRO Vietnam. The official appointment takes effect from March 11^th, 2024, succeeding Mr. Laurent Levan who moved to another business.

On behalf of PRO Vietnam, Chairman Pham Phu Ngoc Trai extended his sincere thanks to Mr. Laurent Levan for his significant contribution over the past five years and wished him success, good health in his new journey. He also congratulated Mr. Eliseo Barcas and expressed trust in Mr Eliseo leading the Operations Committee to success with his enthusiasm in this new phase of EPR implementation.

Mr. Eliseo Barcas appointed Vice Chairman of PRO Vietnam

Mr. Eliseo Barcas is currently Managing Director and President at Tetra Pak Vietnam – a multinational company with strong focus on sustainable practices. He has been working in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods and Business-to-Business industries for more than two decades. He led the sales and business development of Tetra Pak in the USA for three years before being appointed as Managing Director of Tetra Pak Andina region in 2018. Following his appointment in the Americas, in 2020, Mr. Barcas took up the challenge and move to Asia to assume his current position with the focus on developing Tetra Pak’s business in one of its key growth markets.  

Mr. Eliseo Barcas takes on the position of Vice Chairman of the Coalition responsible for the Technical Operations Committee of PRO Vietnam in the context of the official implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulation from January 1^st, 2024. The regulation requires manufacturing and business enterprises to recycle packaging materials they introduce to the market at a specified rate. Additionally, PRO Vietnam is the first organization authorized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to organize packaging recycling activities within the territory of Vietnam. With his appointment to the new position within the Coalition, Mr. Eliseo Barcas is expected to lead the Technical Operations Committee in refining the collection and recycling model, supporting Coalition members in fulfilling their EPR obligations, and achieving PRO Vietnam’s target of recycling over 70,000 tons of materials in 2024, along with other long-term goals of the Coalition.

Sharing about his appointment as the Vice Chairman in charge of Technical Operation Committee at PRO Vietnam, Mr. Barcas said: “Vietnam stands at a critical juncture as the world transits to a sustainable economy. We need to accelerate the actions to achieve circular economy and making recycling more accessible and sustainable in Vietnam. The experiences learnt from the past few years has given me profound understanding of challenges F&B manufacturers face in our quest for packaging sustainability. Stepping into this position, I am proud to continue the works contributing to PRO Vietnam since its inception with the ambition of making Vietnam cleaner, greener and more beautiful. Together, we can create a more sustainable and resilient Vietnam”.

Alongside the appointment of the new Vice Chairman, PRO Vietnam also welcomes its 23^rd member to join the Coalition in March 2024. With internal resources, increasing members and support from stakeholders, PRO Vietnam hopes to successfully complete the goals of collection and recycling in 2024, and firmly step on the journey to become a pioneer in environmental protection, recycling packaging and promoting circular economy in Vietnam.

Full Press Release Here