Environment Agency, Unilever launch plastic circular economy innovation challenge

Environment Agency, Unilever launch plastic circular economy innovation challenge

The initiative marks the first project under a new 2026–30 partnership between the Vietnam Environment Agency and Unilever Vietnam to promote innovation, recycling and sustainable plastic management.

Participants at the launching ceremony of the competition. — Photo courtesy of Unilever Vietnam

 The Vietnam Environment Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and Unilever Vietnam on Tuesday launched the Plastic Circular Innovation Solutions 2026 competition, the first initiative under a new 2026–30 cooperation programme aimed at promoting plastic circularity in Việt Nam.

Over the past five years, joint programmes between the two have helped collect and recycle more than 60,000 tonnes of plastic waste into packaging and other products, while supporting waste sorting, recycling initiatives and the implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies.

Unilever Vietnam said 70 per cent of its packaging is now recyclable, with recycled plastic accounting for an average of 50 per cent of the plastic used in its packaging.

Environment Agency Director General Tăng Thế Cường said the transition to a circular economy had become a global trend as countries pursue greener growth and more efficient use of resources.

He said the competition was expected to identify innovative solutions that could help reduce plastic pollution, improve resource efficiency and support Việt Nam’s sustainable development goals.

At the event, the Vietnam Environment Agency and Unilever Vietnam signed a memorandum of understanding for 2026–30, expanding cooperation to help bring plastic circular economy solutions from commitments to practical implementation.

The competition will seek innovations across the plastic value chain, including packaging design, alternative materials, recycling technologies, waste collection and sorting models, circular business models and sustainable consumption initiatives.

Unlike traditional innovation contests that focus mainly on ideas, the programme will emphasise implementation, helping promising projects gain access to experts, businesses, regulators and investors to test and scale their solutions.

Organisers said the programme aims to connect innovators with organisations seeking circular economy solutions, mobilise resources for green innovation and accelerate Việt Nam’s green and digital transition through greater use of technology, data and automation in waste management and recycling.

Nguyễn Thị Bích Vân, country managing director of Unilever Vietnam, said plastic should be viewed as a resource rather than waste and that stronger public-private cooperation was needed to bring innovative solutions to market.

The competition builds on the success of its 2024 edition, which attracted more than 350 projects and businesses and engaged over 500 individuals and organisations. Several winning ideas have since moved into pilot implementation, including a technology-enabled waste sorting station developed by startup GRAC in partnership with local authorities in HCM City.

Applications are expected to open in mid-July, with winners to be announced in the first quarter of 2027. 

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