Hanoi (VNA) - Tetra Pak, the world's leading food processing and packaging solutions company, has announced that it has expanded the collection of used beverage cartons via the VECA app to 18 districts in Ho Chi Minh City, four more compared to the first phase of the project.

The firm expects to collect six tonnes of used beverage cartons in six months after the expansion.

Luong Thanh Thu, Sustainability Manager at Tetra Pak, said that the firm is committed to a low-carbon circular economy in each and every aspect of its business in Vietnam, including cooperation with recyclers to expand its carton collection network as well as supporting food and beverage manufacturers in complying with extended producer responsibility rules.

The partnership with VECA is part of the company's efforts to collect used cartons and build a culture of recycling in the community, she stated.

In its first phase, through the VECA app, the project has seen positive results. By the end of August, a total of 7,300 orders for scrap were made through the app, with more than 2 tonnes of used cartons collected.

VECA, which is available in both the Google Play and App storew, connects those who wish to sell scrap and collectors. Introduced in 2020, the app has drawn 32,000 users.

Bui The Bao, founder of VECA, said that the inclusion of cartons on the collection list has helped to increase the number of app users significantly. He expressed hope that the initiative to expand the carton collection network in large districts will encourage more collectors to use the app, thus reaching the goal of a zero-waste Vietnam.

Tetra Pak has implemented initiatives to support the low-carbon circular economy in Vietnam. The company has worked closely with recycling partners to boost the capacity and quality of recycled products. One significant project is its 1.2 million EUR investment in Dong Tien Paper Factory, with the aim to enhance the plant’s capacity of recycling used cartons from 9,000 to 17,000 tonnes per year.

Tetra Pak has partnered with the Vietnam Packaging Recycling Alliance (PRO Vietnam) and Circular Action Organisation to launch a pilot project from August 2022 to March 2023 in HCM City to collect and recycle used beverage cartons in the community, aiming to collect and completely recycle 3,000 tonnes of beverage cartons, turning them into useful products such as paperboard materials and bio-roof panels.

The company has also worked closely with its partners, especially major retailers like AEON Mall, MM Mega Market to grow the collection network in communities, raising the total number of drop-off stations to 76 nationwide./.