Packaging Recycling Organization Vietnam

Alongside the process of industrialisation and modernisation, Vietnam is witnessing a strong increase in the production and consumption of goods, particularly pre-packaged products. This development has contributed to economic growth, but it has also led to an increasingly large volume of packaging waste, placing pressure on the waste collection and treatment system.

Meanwhile, Vietnam’s plastic and paper recycling industry still depends significantly on imported scrap materials. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in 2018 alone, 80% of recycled plastic raw materials (equivalent to 254,000 tons) were imported from G7 countries; for paper, the figure was 2.1 million tons, accounting for 57% of total input materials. This reliance on imported scrap while domestic waste has not been effectively utilised reveals a major contradiction - the packaging sector is still operating under a linear economic model, meaning production - consumption - disposal, rather than reuse and recycling.

In response to this situation, nine leading enterprises in the consumer goods and packaging sectors- namely Coca-Cola Vietnam, FrieslandCampina Vietnam, La Vie, Nestlé, Nutifood, Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam, Tetra Pak, TH Group, and URC Vietnam- jointly initiated the Packaging Recycling Organization Vietnam (PRO Vietnam) on June 21, 2019.

PRO Vietnam focuses on the Recycle pillar within the 3R principle: Reduce – reduction, Reuse – reuse and Recycle – recycling.

While Reduce and Reuse create opportunities for innovation in materials and design, Recycle serves as the foundation for PRO Vietnam to build a sustainable, transparent, efficient, and scalable circular packaging value chain.

Established on the principle of co-creating value, PRO Vietnam brings together member enterprises to take collective action toward shared recycling objectives, achieving faster and more effective results than working independently. The Alliance has implemented pilot projects in collaboration with collection and recycling partners nationwide, forming an accessible, sustainable and optimised collection-recycling model that contributes to the promotion of the circular economy in Vietnam.

In addition, PRO Vietnam works closely with the Vietnamese government, participating in policy development and promotion, particularly in the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). The Alliance also carries out communication and community education programs to raise awareness of waste segregation at source, green lifestyles and the circular economy, widely disseminating the spirit of environmental protection among the public.

Vision

Contribute to a Green – Clean – Beautiful Vietnam.

Mission

Ensure that the collection and recycling process for packaging is accessible, sustainable, and effective, in order to promote a circular economy for packaging in Vietnam.

Objective

By 2030, all packaging placed on the market by Alliance members will be collected and recycled, forming a closed-loop circular value chain that minimises waste and strengthens positive environmental impacts.

To realise its objective, PRO Vietnam focuses on four main activities:

• Awareness raising and behaviour change: Targeting both businesses and consumers, fostering responsible consumption habits and participation in promoting the circular economy.
• Building and strengthening the packaging collection ecosystem: Coordinating with both the formal and informal sectors to optimise the collection–recycling network.
• Promoting recycling programs at production and treatment facilities: Ensuring that post-consumer packaging is recycled effectively.
• Coordination with the Government and regulatory authorities: Supporting and disseminating the 3R principles, with particular emphasis on Recycle, to enhance the effectiveness of EPR implementation and environmental policies.

Implementation process – Scope – Cost

PRO Vietnam operates in the context of significant challenges related to plastic and packaging waste, with the objective of promoting a sustainable and effective collection–recycling value chain. To achieve this objective, PRO has developed an implementation roadmap consisting of three phases, progressing from awareness to action, and from piloting to scale-up:

Communication and awareness raising (2020–2025)

The foundational phase, focusing on building community habits and encouraging waste segregation at source, thereby establishing a basis for subsequent pilot programs and technology applications to achieve greater effectiveness.

Pilot initiatives and small-scale technology applications (2025–2027)

The refinement phase, during which collection and recycling solutions are tested, costs are optimized, and risks are reduced prior to large-scale replication.

Expansion of advanced technologies and nationwide implementation (2027–2030)

Once community awareness foundations and pilot projects have stabilized, PRO applies large-scale technologies to ensure optimal efficiency and avoid the waste of resources.

Contributions to EPR policy development

• Worked alongside the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) in developing and finalising the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection, Decree No. 08/2022/NĐ-CP, and Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BTNMT on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
• Participated in workshops, forums, and in-depth consultations, consolidating input from enterprises, associations, regulatory agencies, universities, and non-governmental organisations.
• Organised the national workshop “Toward the Successful Implementation of EPR” (2023) to provide recommendations and feasible solutions for EPR implementation.
• Provided consultation and support to Alliance members in declaring and registering EPR obligations in compliance with regulations.

Collection–recycling and pilot projects

2021–2023: Implemented pilot projects and expanded the collection–recycling model in major cities (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Hue, Da Nang) and in communities, schools, and shopping centres.

Notable results

2021: >1,200 tons of packaging collected.

2022: ~3,500 tons of PET and paper packaging.

2023: ~14,000 tons across 7 main packaging types (paperboard, carton packages, PET plastic, HDPE plastic, single-material flexible packaging, multi-material flexible packaging, and aluminium).

2024: >63,000 tons of packaging, fulfilling 100% of EPR responsibilities for authorized members.

PRO Vietnam is the first organization recognized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) to carry out packaging recycling in accordance with regulations within the territory of Vietnam.

Communication and community awareness raising

• Program series with VTV (“Green Growth,” “Net Zero”) and Tuoi Tre Newspaper (“Green Vietnam”) to disseminate the circular economy model and raise awareness of green consumption in the community.
• “Environmental Guards” program in Ba Ria – Vung Tau: collecting >5 tons of carton packages per month; 14 extracurricular activities across 300+ schools; educating preschool and primary school pupils on waste segregation habits.
• Recycling festivals and community campaigns at the Co.opmart supermarket chain, and during Green Tourism Week 2023–2024.

Support for the collection workforce and social welfare

• Provided accident insurance, health insurance, protective equipment, and revolving capital funds for both formal and informal collection workers.
• Scholarships for the children of environmental workers (VND 400 million, 160 students).
• Cooperation with urban environmental units (CITENCO, URENCO, Da Nang) to support Tet activities, gifts, and improvements in working conditions.

Research and training collaboration

• Cooperation with IUCN and ICED to research and assess the collection–recycling system and develop application models.
• Publication of in-depth books on strategic management and the circular economy.
• Signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City (2025) to develop research, train green human resources, and transfer recycling technologies.

The enterprise alliance model of PRO Vietnam can be applied to glass packaging, metal packaging, electronic equipment, and textiles, thanks to its flexible structure and transparent coordination mechanism among the State, businesses, and the community.

At present, PRO Vietnam is regarded as a pioneering model for organizing the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Vietnam, which can be applied to other product groups in accordance with the national EPR roadmap.

Success Factors Applicable to Other Sectors/Regions

• Close public–private partnership (PPP): Strong collaboration among regulatory authorities, businesses and the community.
• Multi-layered approach: Simultaneously promoting policy development, raising awareness and investing in collection and recycling infrastructure.
• Centralised financial mechanism: Sharing the costs of collection and recycling among enterprises.
• Application of management technologies: Ensuring traceability and transparency of recycling data.
• Emphasis on social factors: Protecting rights and enhancing the capacity of the collection workforce.

Strategies for Model Dissemination and Replication

• Organise workshops and forums to share experience on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the circular economy, with the participation of businesses, regulatory authorities, and international organisations.
• Cooperate with universities and research institutes to train green human resources and develop recycling initiatives.
• Implement communication and community education programs (such as “Environmental Guards,” “Green Vietnam,” and “Net Zero”) to scale up awareness and sustainable consumption behaviours.
• Participate in international networks on recycling and sustainability to share models, seek partnerships and expand impact across the region.