Ho Chi Minh City, April 12, 2024 – The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Cooperatives (Saigon Co.op) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Winrock International. Both parties committed to reducing environmental pollution by creating a waste circular economy model, enhancing source separation, and improving producer responsibility. As part of this initiative, Saigon Co.op co-signed with two partners: ALTA Group and Green Connect, who will implement the program at Saigon Co.op retail points. This collaboration is part of the USAID-funded Pollution Reduction Project, managed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in cooperation with Winrock International.

Through the waste circular project, Saigon Co.op and ALTA Group will deploy plastic bottle collection machines at 12 Co.op Mart supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City. During the signing ceremony, ALTA Group also announced the addition of a plastic bottle collection machine at Saigon Co.op’s office in Binh Thanh District to reach more people in the surrounding area.

The plastic bottle collection machines are part of the GREEnfinity project, focusing on environmental protection technology to build a plastic-free planet. Each plastic bottle or empty aluminum can will earn reward points, which can be exchanged for shopping vouchers on e-commerce platforms. The program will be piloted in Ho Chi Minh City from March 2024 to January 2025, with plans to expand it throughout the system afterward.

The plastic bottle collection machines utilize modern AI technology to automatically identify, sort, and collect used plastic bottles and aluminum cans, supporting the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). The machine’s operation is straightforward: users place plastic bottles and aluminum cans into the recycling entrance, and the machine automatically processes and sorts them. After preliminary processing in the collection machine, the plastic bottles will be sent to Alta Plastics’ sorting facility.

Alta Plastics, a member company of ALTA Group, will handle the processing and separation of each plastic bottle component. Here, bottles will be sorted by body, cap, and label. After sorting, the plastic bodies will be crushed and cleaned to produce 3D printing filament.

Through this collaboration, the involved parties aim to leverage their potential to achieve a common goal: reducing waste and environmental pollution, promoting green transformation in production and business activities, and raising community awareness of environmental protection.

ALTA Group, established in 1989, operates across various sectors, including information technology, plastic packaging, machinery manufacturing, cosmetics, and financial investment. Today, ALTA Group has built a solid reputation and is a trusted partner for many organizations, businesses, and individuals nationwide.

Saigon Co.op, founded in 1989, operates as a cooperative economic organization based on collective ownership principles and self-reliant business practices. Over more than 30 years of development, Saigon Co.op has successfully established itself as a leading cooperative brand at the national and regional levels.

Founded in 2014, Alta Plastics is a leading company in the plastic packaging market in Ho Chi Minh City. Alta Plastics prioritizes environmental concerns and continuously strives to implement solutions for the environment and the community.