Industry according to the circular economy model

​(E. Portal of Dong Nai) Developing a circular economy is one of the tasks in Vietnam's socio-economic development strategy for the period 2021-2030. This model is expected to create opportunities for economic growth, employment and reduce environmental impact.

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Leaders of the Government, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment visit the circular economy model in coffee producs of Nestlé Vietnam Company at the National Environmental Conference V - 2022​

Accompanying businesses to implement the circular economy, Dong Nai has had many policies, and at the same time proposed the Government, ministries, departments and branches to have mechanisms to encourage the development of renewable energy.

Circulation of waste water, solid waste

Nestlé Group is one of a number of foreign enterprises with strong environmental commitments. General Director of Nestlé Vietnam Co., Ltd. Binu Jacob said: “All Nestlé factories in Dong Nai as well as in other provinces and cities in Vietnam have completed the goal of zero waste into the environment in production. Nestlé is applying many solutions to reduce and move towards zero emissions throughout the product lifecycle."

Specifically, Nestlé Vietnam has reused coffee grounds as fertilizer and fuel. The ashes of burning coffee grounds reused again to produce unburnt bricks. In addition, enterprises and partners collect and recycle milk cartons; supports the disposal of non-recyclable and low-value plastics. Especially participating in the Vietnam Alliance of Againsting Plastic Waste to promote the classification, collection and recycling of packaging.

In the past few years, circular economy has become a problem of many forums and discussion programs. From an economic perspective, this model helps to save costs through saving and reusing raw materials. In terms of environment, reduces exploitation of natural resources. In the social aspect, many new jobs, environmentally friendly products created.

Sharing at the Green Economy Forum in 2022, Unilever Vietnam's Director of Communications, External Relations and Brand Sustainability Le Thi Hong Nhi said that consumers were tending to support businesses and products with a mission matches their life purposes. Unilever has built a system to collect and treat more plastic waste than sold packaging, reducing half amount of primary plastic in product packaging. These efforts help businesses to conquer many customers and innovate new partners.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Hoang, Director of Visual Plastic Joint Stock Company in Bien Hoa 2 Industrial Park (Bien Hoa City) said that the company produced plastic so it consumed lots of water. To save water in daily lives, the company had installed sensors, in case workers forgot to lock the faucet, the water would be automatically turned off after 30 seconds. For the production water, the company had the treatment tanks for reuse. As for plastic materials, the company invested in mixers to reduce the loss of raw materials and achieved standard colors. Since investing in mixers, the material loss rate had decreased by more than 10%.

​​​Producing sport shoes for export at TKG Taekwang Vina Joint Stock Company (Bien Hoa City)

Developing renewable energy

In industry, the circular economic and renewable energy are two parallel contents. Enterprises can create energy from wastewater, waste or factory roofs; and these energy will promote faster circulation.

Deputy Director of Dong Nai One Member Electricity Limited Limited Company Truong Dinh Quoc informed that in the past 5 years, the increase in electricity demand had not been as high as in the years before. The reason was that the province had implemented the goal of greening production, transforming the internal structure of the industry in the direction of increasing the proportion of high-tech industries, supporting industries with low energy consumption and environmental friendliness. In addition, there was a renewable energy source compensated.

Particularly for solar power, in the province, there are nearly 6,000 systems signed with electricity purchase and sale contracts (not including enterprises and households installing and using by themselves) with a total capacity of nearly 694 thousand MWp.

Typically, Khai Toan Joint Stock Company in Tam Phuoc Industrial Park (Bien Hoa City) spent 60 billion VND in 2019 to install solar power systems. The effect is that the enterprise can reduce nearly 800 million dong of electricity bill/month, and at the same time collect about 6 billion dong from selling electricity/year. Not only this company, more than 700 factories in the province have installed solar energy systems to save costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In order to diversify the supply and meet the green energy needs of enterprises, the province has agreed to invest in 4 waste power projects and encourage enterprises to invest in solar power systems for internal use of the plants.

According to Mr. Vu Dinh Quan, Director of Sustainable Development of TKG TaeKwang Vina Joint Stock Company (Bien Hoa 2 Industrial Park), the current electricity price and energy security problem poses a problem of electricity saving and clean electricity development. At the company, energy-consuming machines and equipment are gradually replaced by energy-saving products to reduce costs. Along with that, the enterprise is implementing a plan to install rooftop solar power systems at 3 factories in Dong Nai, Can Tho and Tay Ninh. When put into operation, the system will produce about 28,000 MW of electricity per year, meeting more than 10% of the power needs of the plants.

Deputy Head of Dong Nai Industrial Park Authority Duong Thi Xuan Nuong assessed that investment in renewable energy was still entangled in policy, so attracting investment in this field was still limited. In the past time, many enterprises and industrial zones had sent documents to ministries and branches, but each place had a type of guidance leading to difficulty to implement.

Accompanying businesses to implement the circular economy, in 2022, the Provincial People's Committee proposed the Government and the Ministry of Industry and Trade twice to have a mechanism to remove obstacles and reduce procedures for solar energy projects; consider building a specific law to encourage investment, develop clean energy, renewable energy to attract investors.

According to Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thi Hoang, many enterprises in Dong Nai industrial zones have applied the economic model quite effectively. It can be reuse of water, sewage sludge, sawdust as raw materials for production. This has both economic and environmental benefits and helps businesses to achieve green certificates.​