“At URC, we reimagine snack foods and beverages as not only bringing delight to consumers, but also benefitting our key stakeholders and the environment. Each of us has a critical role to play in making sure that we take care of our world,” said URC Chairman Lance Y. Gokongwei as the company unveiled its sustainability strategy dubbed “Our Purposeful Transformation” last year.
As URC—one of the Philippines’ largest branded consumer food and beverage product companies—continues to expand its reach in the ASEAN region and beyond, so does its commitment to sustainability. In Vietnam, where the company has been operating since 2003, URC Vietnam has taken a big step in being part of the solution towards the increasing threat of waste pollution.
On June 21, 2019, URC Vietnam, represented by its President and CEO Laurent Levan, officially joined eight other consumer goods and packaging industry firms to form the Packaging Recycling Organization Vietnam (PRO Vietnam). The pioneering coalition aims to contribute to a “clean, green, and beautiful Vietnam” by employing manufacturing processes that adhere to the “3R” principles: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The move is expected to drive the circular economy, making the recycling of packaging materials more viable, accessible, and sustainable.
Nine leading companies from the consumer goods and packaging industries signed the agreement to launch PRO Vietnam. URC Vietnam President and CEO Laurent Levan (2nd from left) represented the company at the event.
At the signing Mr. Levan said, “URC Vietnam is very proud to participate in PRO Vietnam to help improve the environment. We are persistently pursuing a sustainable development model and adopting solutions to cope with climate change and reduce our environmental footprint. This will also provide a key competitive advantage that enables URC Vietnam to operate more efficiently and better serve the consumers.”
Along with URC Vietnam, the members of the PRO Vietnam coalition are Coca-Cola Vietnam, FrieslandCampina, La Vie, Nestlé Vietnam, NutiFood, Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam, Tetra Pak Vietnam, and TH Group. Guiding the companies in their quest is the consultancy group GA Circular. Founded in 2011, GA Circular is a research and strategy consultancy and certified social enterprise specializing in providing circular economy solutions to packaging and food waste across 11 countries in Asia.
The admirable initiative of companies who normally compete against each other for a share of the Vietnamese consumer market was lauded by the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Known for his strong commitment to environmental causes, Prime Minister Phuc has previously stated his intention to ban single-use plastics in Vietnam by 2025.
Addressing the coalition in a letter, Prime Minister Phuc said, “On behalf of the Government, I applaud and appreciate the initiative of Packaging Recovery Vietnam (PRO Vietnam) by local companies and multinational corporations operating in the food and beverage industry in Vietnam. I hope PRO Vietnam will join the Vietnamese government and people in the prevention, reduction and treatment of plastic waste; limiting single-use plastic products; increasing the use of advanced technology to collect, recover and reuse packaging in Vietnam to ensure quality and safety.”
During the coalition agreement signing, PRO Vietnam revealed its ambition that by 2030, “all packaging material put into the market by its members shall be collected for recycling.” To achieve these goals, PRO Vietnam established four pillars of activities. These are: (1) educating consumers on recycling awareness and segregation; (2) strengthening the existing packaging collection ecosystem; (3) supporting recycling programs of processors and recyclers; and (4) PRO Vietnam will also work with government in the “Recycle” aspect of the 3R’s (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) and through its unique voluntary, public-private partnership, the coalition aims to improve livelihood conditions and create jobs for individuals and businesses working on post-consumer packaging.
PRO Vietnam is open to welcoming more companies to join the coalition. In a statement it said, “The fundamental principle of PRO Vietnam is that we believe if we all work together, on common recycling goals, we can achieve faster and better results than working independently.”
For more information about PRO Vietnam, please contact: info@provietnam.com.vn
To learn more about URC Vietnam and its products, visit urc.com.vn/en
