Promoting the circular economy by collecting paper and paper boxes

Tetra Pak, a prominent international supplier of food processing and packaging solutions, has partnered with the Department of Education and Training of Tien Du District (Bac Ninh) and Lagom Vietnam Joint Stock Company to host a conference to evaluate the four-year progress of the milk box collection initiative in schools in Tien Du District. This collaboration indicates a significant achievement for Tetra Pak and its partners as they attempt to promote a circular economy while reducing carbon emissions.

Since May 2020, the program has garnered eager continuous involvement from 19 schools in Tien Du and 15 schools in the neighboring regions of Hung Yen province and Hanoi city. This has had a significant impact on the awareness and behaviors of over 60,000 students and teachers, as well as approximately 250,000 citizens, in terms of sorting and collecting paper beverage cartons. As a result, the program has played a crucial role in fostering a waste sorting culture within the community. Additionally, it has aided food and beverage manufacturers in meeting their packaging recycling obligations under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations.

The collecting and recycling strategy in Tien Du District has great significance, as it is the initial phase of the school milk carton recycling program extending beyond large cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to include a provincial region. "Our goal is to implement the milk carton collection model in Tien Du as a foundation for expanding throughout Bac Ninh province. This will help alleviate the burden on waste management authorities and assist manufacturers in meeting their packaging recycling obligations effectively," stated Ms. Luong Thanh Thu, the Head of the Sustainable Development Department at Tetra Pak Vietnam. "The program will help us achieve the goal of establishing a circular economy with decreased carbon emissions in Vietnam," Ms. Thu said.

The milk carton collection program in Tien Du District was launched in May 2020 by the Department of Education and Training of Tien Du District and related units. This program, which originated from the collection and recycling model of paper beverage cartons in schools in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, was initiated by Tetra Pak and Lagom Vietnam in 2018. Since its implementation, the program has expanded to the surrounding areas of Hung Yen province and Hanoi.

Over a span of almost four years, the initiative has amassed a total of 56 tons of paper cartons, which is comparable to 5.6 million milk cartons. The conclusion ceremony also praised 16 schools that had gathered the largest quantity of paper cartons, which would serve as the foundation for expanding the initiative to additional schools in Bac Ninh province.

According to Ms. Tran Thi Hoa, Deputy Head of the Department of Education and Training of Tien Du District, Bac Ninh Province, the reduction of carbon emissions necessitates the combined efforts of several entities, ranging from individuals to enterprises involved in the supply chain. Therefore, we value the collaborative initiative of Tetra Pak and Lagom to introduce milk carton collecting in schools, as well as the program's accomplished outcomes.

These results should inspire and serve as an example for manufacturers in the region to learn from. The goal should be to develop a sustainable circular economy and minimize negative environmental effects. Bac Ninh Province pledges to provide favorable circumstances for the implementation of milk carton collecting to achieve maximum efficiency.