Unilever Vietnam and Central Retail Vietnam partnered together on August 23 to launch the “Plastic Waste Segregation at Source” initiative, a joint effort to revolutionize waste management at its very source and combat plastic pollution.

The initiative focuses on promoting the circular economy model in plastic waste management in supermarkets in southern localities such as Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai and Binh Duong provinces, conduct communications and education programs to raise awareness about plastic waste segregation at the source, and supply PCR plastics to the domestic packaging industry using collected plastic waste through cooperative programs.

Activities under the initiative will be implemented from August to December at Central Retail Vietnam’s GO! Malls and retail chain stores, including GO! Big C, Tops, and mini go!, initially in Vietnam’s south.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Mr. Olivier Langlet, Group Chief Executive Officer of Central Retail Vietnam, said it has been dedicated to a sustainable roadmap for over a decade, extending beyond business into environmental and community efforts.

“This cooperation perfectly aligns with our commitment to social responsibility and sustainable progress, echoing our ambition to become the pioneering Green & Sustainable Retailer,” he went on. “We believe that this pioneering step will set the stage for a nationwide movement. Together, we aim to enhance consumer awareness, turn consciousness into action, and gradually integrate the principles of the circular economy into the daily lives of the Vietnamese people.”

For her part, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Van, Chairperson of Unilever Vietnam, noted that as a consumer goods business that is closely related to the lives of millions of Vietnamese households, Unilever has pioneered finding solutions to reduce plastic pollution. “We have been pursuing the plastic circular economy model for many years,” she said. “To build a plastic cycle, an efficient, synchronized sorting, collection and recycling system is required. Therefore, plastic waste segregation at the source should be promoted and become a daily habit of every Vietnamese consumer.”

Unilever’s plastic management strategy consists of three main goals: improving packaging materials to increase recyclability; reducing the use of virgin plastic; and collecting and recycling more product packaging than the amount of plastic put into the market. To date, 63 per cent of Unilever Vietnam’s product packaging is recyclable or easily degradable. At the same time, the group recorded a 52 per cent reduction in the amount of virgin plastic used in packaging production thanks to direct reduction and utilization of PCR plastic. With many specific action programs, in cooperation with partners in its value chain, the group hopes to contribute to Vietnam’s national goal of reducing plastic waste.