Tetra Pak has announced the expansion of the collection of used beverage cartons via the VECA app to 18 districts in HCM City, an increase of four districts compared to the first phase on November 17.

The four new districts, namely Tan Phu, Go Vap, Binh Tan and Thu Duc, are among the largest districts of HCM City.

Tetra Pak and VECA have also established additional collection sites at 10 condominiums in the city in an effort to increase the volume of collected cartons to six tonnes after six months of network expansion.

“We are committed to a low-carbon circular economy in each and every aspect of our business. This very commitment includes the focus on cooperating with recyclers to expand the 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 our aim of collecting used cartons everywhere, at any time and building a culture of carton recycling in the community,” said Luong Thanh Thu, Sustainability Manager at Tetra Pak.

Previously, cartons were added to the collection list of the VECA application on smartphones at the end of 2021. VECA, operating in a similar manner to ride-hailing services, connects those who wish to sell scrap and collectors in close proximity, while prices are made public and transparent. By the end of August 2022, a total of 7,300 orders for scrap were made through the app, with more than 2 tonnes of used cartons collected. The used carton price on the VECA app is currently VND2,000 per kilo.

“Released in mid-2020, VECA has approximately 32,000 users so far. The inclusion of used cartons in the VECA app’s collection list has helped us to increase the number of users significantly. We hope that the initiative to expand our carton collection network in those large districts will encourage more collectors to use the app, thus reaching the goal of a Zero-Waste Vietnam,” said Bui The Bao, founder of VECA.

In 2022, Tetra Pak, together with the Vietnam Packaging Recycling Alliance (PRO Vietnam) and Circular Action Organisation, started a pilot programme in HCM City to collect and recycle used beverage cartons in the community. From August 2022 to March 2023, the programme sets a goal 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 and MM Mega Market to expand the collection network in communities, raising the total number of drop-off stations to 76 nationwide. — VNS