World Environment Day 2023 took place on June 5 and was launched by the United Nations Environment Programme with the theme of finding solutions to plastic pollution as part of the UN's overall 'Beat Plastic Pollution' campaign. The MoNRE hosted the launching ceremony in Nghe An province.

The initiative focuses on encouraging and creating practical action with pervasive power to raise public awareness along with specific activities to protect natural resources and the marine and island environments.

As a pioneer in Vietnam with the Circular Economy in Plastic Waste through Public-Private Collaboration (PPC) initiative, Unilever Vietnam has been collaborating with MoNRE and other partners to promote plastic waste segregation at source for collection and recycling.

Since 2020, Unilever's cooperation projects have collected more than 20,000 tonnes of plastic waste and created improvements for plastic recycling activities in Vietnam. The company has been taking innovative and more environmentally friendly approaches to its packaging in an effort to reduce plastic pollution as well as promoting the Circular Economy in Vietnam.

Unilever Vietnam recently became a core member of the Innovation and Financing task force for Plastic Circularity under the National Plastics Action Partnership Programme (NPAP) chaired by the MoNRE. The company has made great efforts in the race to reach Net Zero and is pursuing a completely zero-emissions supply chain.

Since 2021, Unilever has actively collaborated with the Center for Communication of Natural Resources and Environment, MoNRE, to implement a tree-planting initiative with the goal of planting one million trees by 2025. So far, 380,000 trees and 60,000 seed balls have been sown in 19 provinces and 9 national parks, and over 500,000 young people have been reached and inspired. The scheme also contributes to regenerating nature, creating a positive carbon footprint that helps Vietnam cope with climate change.

At the launching ceremony, Unilever Vietnam officially kicked off the 2023 tree planting campaign with the goal of 250,000 additional trees, bringing the total number of trees planted to 630,000 by the end of this year.

These objectives underpin Unilever’s further collaboration and closer companionship with MoNRE to raise awareness and a sense of community responsibility for protecting environmental resources, responding to natural disasters, adapting to global climate change, as well as embracing the importance of the ocean for life on this planet.

Unilever will implement those commitments through their own action programmes and through communication and education campaigns calling for action across the country. Nature can be regenerated if each citizen switches to a greener, cleaner, and more responsible lifestyle. Every small action from an individual positively contributes to a greener and cleaner Vietnam.

In addition to supporting central governmental agencies, Unilever Vietnam was also actively involved in local activities by participating in 'Green Living Day' hosted by Ho Chi Minh City's Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DoNRE). The event introduced environmentally friendly products, solutions, initiatives, and models of environmental protection to the community, thereby promoting sustainable production and consumption.

In partnership with Duy Tan Plastic Recycling, the company brought a plastic circularity model to the event to illustrate the process of recycling plastic waste into useful renewable materials from used plastic bottles. This allowed participants to witness a real-life circular economy model to gain a better understanding of the importance of plastic waste segregation at home.

Nguyen Thi Bich Van, chairperson at Unilever Vietnam said, “The support of the government and the cooperation of partners, recyclers, non-governmental organisations, international organisations, and local communities play a crucial role in promoting the circularity of plastic packaging. This not just helps Unilever drive more sustainable business but contributes to a greener Vietnam as well.”