PepsiCo Vietnam and partners launch plastic waste management awareness campaign

The programme will be implemented by the Centre for Education and Development (CED) in collaboration with partners in Vietnam and will last for two years. As part of this comprehensive initiative, the partners plan to train 60 young Vietnamese environmental leaders. These activities aim to strengthen plastic recycling education in communities, enhance young people’s awareness of single-use plastic waste, and inspire more sustainable behaviour changes, particularly in collecting and treatment.

The project is funded by PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo Inc., one of the world's leading food and beverage companies and is part of PepsiCo’s global approach to support the development of a circular economy and make progress towards the company’s vision of a world where plastics need never become waste.

The programme launching ceremony on plastic waste management saw the participation of many lecturers and students

The launch event welcomed the participation of preeminent environmental experts, 35 young environmental leaders, and 150 students from the National Economics University (NEU). The plastic waste management training programme will take place on November 6 and 7. Young environmental leaders will be equipped with leadership skills, community organisation skills, and knowledge of plastic waste management and environmental protection.

The training programme for young environmental leaders will help raise public awareness of collecting and recycling plastic waste, targeting students and the small- and medium-enterprise community.

Every year, Vietnam emits about 1.8 million tonnes of plastic waste, among the 20 largest waste-generating countries, and is 10 per cent higher than the world average level due to the inadequate management and treatment of plastic waste. As plastic pollution continues to rise in the country, the government has taken actions to reduce pollution from plastic waste.

The project has also established a network of environmental leaders from five areas: Hanoi, Danang, Phu Yen-Khanh Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City, and An Giang-Can Tho. 60 young people, from 18 to 25 years of age, have been selected to join the project. These environmental leaders will be the core force to implement the educational activities in schools and communities.

Reducing plastic waste is one of the focal issues of PepsiCo in the upcoming years

The awareness campaign is expected to deliver many positive outcomes. Along with this, 60 youth leaders will support the campaign and the roadshow on World Environment Day (June 6) at 30 secondary and high schools across Vietnam, bringing the message to 24,000 school students, as well as five universities to an audience of 500 university students.

Eight public exhibits will be held in eight schools in addition to three regional science fairs and exhibits in Hanoi in the north region, Khanh Hoa, Danang in the central region and Can Tho, An Giang, and Ho Chi Minh City in the south region.

The project also entails a collaboration with the private sector to look for innovative solutions to keep plastic in a closed loop, where plastic packaging can be reusable, recyclable, or compostable to limit impact on the environment.

Within the framework of the programme, a seminar between policy makers, government agencies, and 50 packaging companies was held to discuss changing technology or alternative materials, recycling solutions, and related policies.

Cao Hoang Nam, Head of Corporate Affairs at PepsiCo Vietnam, giving remarks at the program launching ceremony

100 enterprises have also been gathered at another seminar on the impact of plastic waste and ways to reduce, collect, and recycle at businesses and in daily activities. It is one of the objectives of the campaign, to raise awareness of small- and medium-sized enterprises about plastic waste management and the new upcoming relevant law.

“PepsiCo envisions a world where plastics need never become waste. We have strong global commitments to achieve our sustainable packaging goals by 2025, in which PepsiCo aims to design all our packaging to be recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable; increase recycled content to 25 per cent in our plastic packaging; and reduce virgin plastic across our beverage portfolio by 35 per cent,” said Sudipto Mozumdar, general manager of PepsiCo Vietnam.

To Kim Lien, CED director shared: “In addition to increasing awareness among the youth and youth leaders, CED aims to work with companies to bring awareness to the growing issue of plastic pollution and encourage companies to work towards reducing this, through workshops to educate companies and their employees; partner with business associations to help companies change technologies and create innovative alternatives to packing to reduce and reuse plastic waste in this sector; and create a dialogue between the government and companies.”