PRO VIETNAM CELEBRATES 5TH ANNIVERSARY: “COMMITTED TO THE VISION OF A GREEN, CLEAN, AND BEAUTIFUL VIETNAM”

Ho Chi Minh City, October 14, 2024 – Today, at the Thiskyhall Sala Convention Center, the Packaging Recycling Organization Vietnam (PRO Vietnam) officially celebrated its 5th anniversary—a memorable milestone in the journey of building and developing circular economy models in Vietnam’s beverage and food industry. As part of this event, PRO Vietnam and its member companies also organized an exhibition showcasing circular economy models and collaborated with Vietnam Television to hold a panel discussion on “Opportunities & Challenges in Implementing the Circular Economy in Vietnam.”

A pioneering role in promoting circular economy model

Founded on June 21, 2019 with nine founding members—Vietnamese and FDI enterprises in FMCG industry—PRO Vietnam has achieved remarkable progress. The number of members has since grown to 30, all leading companies in consumer goods, packaging production, retail, import, collection, and recycling. With the vision of becoming a key contributor to a green-clean-beautiful Vietnam, PRO Vietnam has set its mission as “Promoting the circular economy model in Vietnam by making the packaging collection and recycling more accessible and sustainable.”

To realize this ambition, PRO Vietnam has focused on three key strategies since its inception. First, raising consumer awareness and changing consumer behavior regarding the use of products with packaging that needs to be sorted, collected, and recycled. Second, strengthening the existing packaging collection ecosystem. Third, effectively promoting the resources of the recycling industry in quantity and quality.

Over the past 5 years, PRO Vietnam has not only been a pioneering factor in packaging recycling but also a crucial connector, fostering cooperation among domestic and international businesses, non-governmental organizations, and government bodies. With a strategic vision and a Creating Shared Value approach, PRO Vietnam has generated synergy, driving recycling initiatives and spreading the message of the circular economy more widely.

Encouraging results over the last 5 years

To implement its priority strategies, PRO Vietnam has worked closely with the government since its early days, promoting and implementing programs to build and enforce regulations on “Extended Producer Responsibility – EPR.” It has made significant contributions to the formulation of the amended Environmental Protection Law in 2020. PRO Vietnam also collaborated with the government to support and disseminate the 3R principles (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) in environmental protection programs, particularly focusing on recycling to extend the lifecycle of packaging used in consumption. PRO Vietnam has also partnered with media agencies to raise awareness and change consumer behavior towards waste segregation, improving collection and recycling efficiency to move towards a sustainable circular economy model.

The results of PRO Vietnam’s five years of activities are reflected in concrete numbers: the coalition has built effective collection and recycling models for various types of packaging. During the two pilot years (2022–2023) before the EPR regulations came into effect, PRO Vietnam successfully collected and recycled more than 17,000 tons of various packaging materials, helping reduce the environmental burden of waste.

PRO Vietnam – Packaging Recycling Joint Stock Company (a non-profit social enterprise) was the first organization to be officially recognized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as the authorized intermediary entity to conduct recycling responsibility by authorization from producers and importers for packaging in Vietnam. In 2024, as the EPR regulations take effect, PRO Vietnam commits to collecting and recycling approximately 64,000 tons of packaging mandated by its members to fulfill EPR obligations. This clearly demonstrates PRO Vietnam’s strong commitment to making its vision of a green-clean-beautiful Vietnam a reality.

At the event, Mr. Pham Phu Ngoc Trai, Chairman of PRO Vietnam, shared: “We are proud of the achievements made over the past 5 years. From partnering with the government to promote EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) policies to launching collection and recycling programs, PRO Vietnam has significantly contributed to changing the mindset, raising awareness about waste segregation at source, and promoting packaging collection and recycling.”

A Strong Business Coalition for the Environment

PRO Vietnam is not only a platform where businesses cooperate and share the goal of packaging recycling but also a coalition that transcends market competition to jointly develop creative solutions for environmental protection and improving the lifecycle of products. Members of PRO Vietnam, from large FMCG enterprises to collection and recycling businesses, are working together to create a sustainable ecosystem, contributing to building a solid foundation for a circular economy in Vietnam.

These cooperative efforts have not only gained strong support from the government but also recognition from the media and the business community. PRO Vietnam has helped build consumer trust, as an increasing number of products from member companies proudly bear the PRO Vietnam logo – a symbol of responsibility and commitment to the community and the environment.

“PRO Vietnam not only contributes to environmental protection but also creates opportunities for ‘corporate citizens’ through cooperation and shared responsibility. We believe that with determination and solidarity, Vietnam will soon make significant progress in its journey towards sustainable development and achieving the goal of building a green-clean-beautiful Vietnam,” said Mr. Pham Phu Ngoc Trai, Chairman of PRO Vietnam.

Shaping the Future of the Circular Economy Model

In the coming years, PRO Vietnam aims to continue its pioneering role as a key player in working with the business community and society towards a truly sustainable circular economy model. PRO Vietnam hopes to contribute to positive changes in consumption and production practices, serving as a testament to the coalition’s relentless efforts. This is not only a responsibility but also a commitment from PRO Vietnam to a green-clean-beautiful Vietnam in the future.

PRESS RELEASE PROVN 5th Anniversary – Press Release – EN