Coca-Cola Vietnam has launched the “Our bottles can live many lives” program in cooperation with Duy Tan Plastic Recycling and VECA, the digital scrap collection application. The program sees Coca-Cola using the reach of its flagship brand – coupled with its first digital partnership with VECA – to help drive PET plastic bottle collection and recycling in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). This is another step toward Coca-Cola’s vision of a “World Without Waste” as the company works with strategic partners to trial ways to support circularity for PET plastic bottles in Vietnam.
The “Our bottles can live many lives” program launched by Coca-Cola aims to increase consumer awareness around the value of recycling PET plastic bottles after use. The program offers consumers in HCMC a convenient way to recycle using VECA’s digital scrap collection application. With the VECA smartphone app, consumers in HCMC can connect directly with collectors who buy and sell bottles after use. Not only can the consumers set a convenient time and place to sell their empty bottles to collectors, but they can also earn accummulated points to redeem for prizes.
Plastic PET bottles collected through VECA will be transferred to Duy Tan Plastic Recycling to be processed into new bottles that can have many lives. Duy Tan has been a strategic partner of Coca-Cola since 2018 and is at the forefront of recycling technology and plastic packaging production in Vietnam. Duy Tan Plastic Recycling is the first enterprise in the country to successfully establish bottle-to-bottle recycling in compliance with Vietnamese regulations and Coca-Cola’s strict global standards for recycled plastic. Through strategic partnerships with organizations like VECA and Duy Tan Plastic Recycling, Coca-Cola is enabling consumers to engage in recycling plastic packaging.
Recognizing Coca-Cola’s latest collaborative effort with local partners, Mr. Phan Tuan Hung, Director of the Legal Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said: “In the context of Extended Producers’ Responsibilities going into effect soon, we highly appreciate Coca-Cola’s efforts and initiatives to support a circular economy model with strategic partners. This cooperation between Coca-Cola and local collectors and recyclers shows the company’s long-term commitment and pioneering stance in implementing manufacturer’s responsibility. The Legal Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment always supports the initiatives and projects of pioneering businesses such as Coca-Cola.”
Mr. Leonardo Garcia, General Director of Coca-Cola Vietnam and Cambodia, shared: “Coca-Cola has a global World Without Waste vision aiming to help collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle and can that it sells by 2030 while also using at least 50% recycled materials in its packaging by 2030 globally. Through our “Our bottles can have many lives” program, we can inspire people to take action and recycle their bottles as we together foster a circular economy in Vietnam. Coca-Cola has been partnering with many organizations to help collect and recycle plastic waste locally and we’re excited about this new initiative with VECA and Duy Tan Plastic Recycling.”
Coca-Cola Vietnam’s progress towards the vision of a World Without Waste
In 2020, Coca-Cola launched the first ever 100% recycled plastic (rPET) bottle (excluding cap and label) in Vietnam for its Dasani 500ml. In 2021, Coca-Cola Vietnam switched its Sprite packaging from its iconic green bottle to a clear PET plastic bottle, to boost local recycling of Sprite bottles. The company rolled out a “Recycle Me” message on its packaging labels across its portfolio in Vietnam to encourage consumers to help recycle. Coca-Cola has also partnered with other companies to establish Packaging Recycling Organization Vietnam (PRO Vietnam) with a goal of promoting a circular economic model through more accessible and sustainable packaging collection and recycling process in Vietnam.
