Coca-Cola expands recycling drive to Hanoi

On October 23, Coca‑Cola Vietnam launched the third year of its 'Our bottles can live many lives' scheme in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Building on two years of success in the south, the expansion marks a key step in the company’s long-term packaging strategy and reinforces its commitment to helping communities collect and recycle beverage packaging waste.

The initiative raises public awareness and encourages local communities, especially young people, to collect beverage containers for recycling, helping contribute to more sustainable development.

In 2023 and 2024, it engaged a wide range of consumers, particularly young people, through partnerships with VECA, a company building up and developing a model and a solution which connects all subjects in the recycling ecosystem, plastic manufactures such as Duy Tan, BOTOL Vietnam, and community support, contributing to the collection ecosystem where used cans and bottles can be recycled.

Within the past two years, the work led by VECA and BOTOL has helped collect hundreds of thousands of cans and bottles in Vietnam so they can be recycled.

The launch event was held at Trade University in Hanoi, attended by representatives from the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, Vietnam National Union of Students, partners, and hundreds of students.

According to Bui Dang Duyen Mai, representative of Coca‑Cola Vietnam, expanding 'Our bottles can live many lives' to Hanoi demonstrates the company’s commitment to helping reduce beverage packaging waste.

“With the support of our partners and the enthusiasm of young people, we hope the programme will continue to achieve positive results in Vietnam,” Mai said.

Students lining up to try out the BOTOL machine on Trade University campus.

This year, activities are taking place at six universities and in residential areas in Hanoi, alongside existing collection points in Ho Chi Minh City. They are supported by BOTOL’s reverse vending machines and GreenU’s recycling expertise, an environmental consultancy specialising in plastic waste management.

Residents can bring used bottles and cans to collection points, earn points via the Zalo app, and redeem rewards. This simple process is expected to inspire young people to recycle and sort waste at the source.

Phung Cong Suong, editor‑in‑chief of Tien Phong Newspaper, said, "This is the second year we have worked with Coca‑Cola Vietnam and universities to boost awareness and foster the habit of collecting and recycling. The goal is to help reduce plastic and aluminium waste, especially among students."

By 2035, Coca-Cola aims to collect and recycle 70–75 per cent of the bottles and cans it sells worldwide and to use 35–40 per cent recycled content in its packaging. In Vietnam, the company is a founding member of the Packaging Recycling Organisation Vietnam, a coalition of leading businesses, recyclers, and government agencies working to accelerate packaging collection and recycling.

Since 2022, Coca-Cola has introduced 100 per cent rPET bottles (excluding caps and labels) and added a 'Recycle Me' message on all its packaging in Vietnam to encourage collection and recycling.

Coca-Cola is among the best-known international brands in Vietnam, with manufacturing facilities in Tay Ninh, Danang, and Hanoi employing around 4,000 people and supporting six to eight times more indirect jobs throughout its value chain.

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