Green future builders: Addressing white pollution

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Agriculture and Environment Sector, VAN News launches a special series titled “Green future builders”, highlighting the efforts, philosophies, models, and best practices of businesses in their greening journey. This series serves as tangible evidence of Vietnamese enterprises integrating into the global green economy movement.

White pollution: A major challenge for humanity

Developing a green, circular, and low-carbon economy is an inevitable direction for Vietnam to ensure sustainable development. At the COP26 Conference, the Prime Minister of Vietnam committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. In pursuit of this goal, the green transition movement has gained strong momentum, with the business community emerging as a pioneering and pivotal force.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) warns that plastic pollution or white pollution has become a global crisis and is one of the most pressing environmental issues facing humanity and the planet today. The world produces more than 430 million tons of plastic each year, two-thirds of which are short-lived products that quickly become waste.

Every day, an amount of plastic waste equivalent to 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic is dumped into the world’s oceans, rivers, and lakes. Each year, 19 to 23 million tons of plastic waste leak into aquatic ecosystems, polluting lakes, rivers, and seas.

In Vietnam, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, 1.8 million tons of plastic waste are released into the environment each year, of which approximately 0.28–0.73 million tons end up in the sea. Only 27% of total plastic waste is recycled or reused by facilities and businesses.

In the FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) sector, plastic waste poses a serious environmental threat. Humanity faces two major challenges regarding plastic waste: first, the ever-growing volume of plastic; second, the difficulties in recycling it.

The challenges in recycling plastic arise from multiple stages, including incorrect sorting, high costs (from collection, cleaning, and melting), low-quality recycled plastic (requiring advanced technology), and limited public awareness.

From a second of waste to 1,000 years of consequences

Plastic pollutes the environment in two ways: direct harm from discarded plastic items and indirect harm from its production process, which releases toxic chemicals.

When dropped on the ground, thrown out of car windows, piled into overflowing bins, or blown away by the wind, plastic waste immediately pollutes the environment. While it takes less than a second to discard, its environmental consequences are long-lasting and alarming. Depending on the type of plastic, it can take 10 years to several hundred, even thousands of years to fully decompose.

Even when not carelessly discarded, plastics still pollute the environment by releasing compounds such as phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) used during production.

Plastic waste is wreaking havoc on wildlife, ecosystems, human health, and the global economy.

So, what is the solution? The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) calls on governments to take urgent action to curb plastic pollution.

Vietnam has been implementing numerous strategies to reduce plastic waste, with the goal of cutting 75% of plastic waste in the country’s seas and oceans by 2030. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment emphasizes promoting a circular economy, turning waste into resources rather than allowing it to pollute the environment.

Recycling plastic waste extends the material’s lifecycle, reduces the amount of plastic released into the environment, and limits greenhouse gas emissions from producing new plastic. In the context of Vietnam aiming to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050, managing and recycling plastic waste has become more urgent than ever.

TH Group takes the lead in reducing plastic waste

In line with the Vietnamese government’s commitment to Net Zero and as part of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), many food enterprises have undertaken persistent actions to reduce plastic in production and enhance packaging collection for recycling.

According to Mrs. Hoang Thị Thanh Thuy, Director of Sustainable Development at TH Group: "All of TH’s business and production activities follow the principle of 'Cherishing Mother Nature' and being environmentally friendly. Particularly in the context of global plastic pollution, TH is taking the lead with commitments accompanied by concrete actions toward sustainable development."

According to Mrs. Thuy, TH Group has implemented numerous initiatives to reduce plastic in production.

Reducing plastic bottle weight: Since 2023, the Nui Tien Pure Water, Herbal, and Fruit Plant has applied measures to reduce the weight of plastic preforms. For example, fruit juice bottles have reduced preform weight by 12%, while pure water bottles have reduced preform weight by 8-17%, depending on capacity. This has resulted in a total reduction of 500 tons of plastic, saving nearly 5.9 billion VND annually.

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Green future builders: Pioneers in carbon neutrality

Through these practical measures, TH true MILK has reduced over 600 tons of plastic, saving about 16 billion VND per year. This demonstrates that plastic reduction efforts not only contribute to environmental protection but also bring clear economic benefits.

Mrs. Hoang Thi Thanh Thuy also noted that TH has long implemented other plastic reduction measures, such as replacing single-use plastic bags at TH true mart stores with more environmentally friendly biodegradable alternatives. TH true YOGURT spoons are made from biodegradable materials, and the packaging film for multi-packs has been redesigned to be thinner and more eco-friendly.

Collecting Packaging - Spreading Green Living

In addition to sustainable consumption initiatives and solutions, the TH true MILK brand has made a strong impression with its annual campaign “Collecting Packaging - Spreading Green Living”, held across the TH true mart store system.

TH collaborates with various partners to collect milk cartons for recycling, transforming them into useful, environmentally friendly products such as cardboard boxes, paper bags, notebooks, hangers, plant pots, eco-roofing panels, and tables and chairs.

This campaign reflects TH Group’s extended producer responsibility, alongside other long-term initiatives such as co-founding the Packaging Recycling Alliance of Vietnam (PRO Vietnam). This is a commitment to a Vietnam free of packaging waste; co-founding the Vietnam Business for Environment Alliance (VB4E); and supporting the Retailers Alliance for Reducing Plastic Waste.

In 2024, TH True MILK’s campaign collected over 4.2 tons of packaging, doubling the previous year's total. The products are not only produced through a green, circular supply chain “from green pastures to clean milk” using world-class technology, but are also continuously improved through sustainable consumption initiatives.

Reducing plastic is a key element of TH Group’s Sustainable Development Strategy, contributing to its carbon neutrality and Net Zero goals. Alongside plastic reduction, TH has implemented a range of initiatives to cut greenhouse gas emissions and recently announced carbon neutrality at two key facilities: the TH true MILK Fresh Milk Plant and the Nui Tien Pure Water, Herbal, and Fruit Plant.