Circular economy gains momentum back home

The circular economy has begun to gain traction in Việt Nam for its potential to optimise resource use, stabilise supply, and offer competitive advantage opportunities for businesses.
Circular economy gains momentum back home ảnh 1Nestlé Vietnam donates 10,000 bricks made of coffee grounds to a school in Dong Nai province. The circular economy enables the company to make every kilo of coffee grounds count. (Photo: suckhoedoisong.vn)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The circular economy has begun togain traction in Việt Nam for its potential to optimise resource use, stabilisesupply, and offer competitive advantageopportunities for businesses.

Pham Minh Thien, general director of Thanh Binh Company Ltd, revealed that hiscompany's production process had been designed so that waste in one stagebecomes fodder for another.

He said his company had bought land in the Tan Hong region to grow a particularstrain of rice, which can easily do without fertilisers, pesticides, and cropcare. As such, the strain causes a minimal impact on the environment.

At harvest time, its straw is reused as a medium to grow mushrooms whereasits rice husk as a biomass fuel for export. Its rice bran is processed toproduce bran oil and animal feed. The residue from this oil-making processis reclaimed to feed poultry.
"The global demand for these by-products isconsiderable. For instance, bran oil has become much sought after by Japanesetraders," said Thien.

The circular economy embraced by Thanh Bình Company Ltd has proved to behighly beneficial to its stakeholders, not only economically but alsoenvironmentally.

As a result of the sustainable farming practices, the soilcultivated by the company, which was contaminated previously by chemicalsubstances, has been gradually improving in quality.

Nestlé Vietnam Company Ltd is another name that has managed to incorporatethe circular economy into its production. 

The company has put coffee grounds to good use by turning them intobiomass, which is used to fuel its boilers. The ash left after thecombustion will serve as a raw material for the production of bricks.

Coffee sludge is processed into microbial fertilisers to enrich the soil,whereas the steam from the boilers goes to the cooling towers for furtherreuse. Even the wastewater is not wasted: it will be recycled into A-standardclean water to close the production loop.    

Tran Thi Hong Minh, head of the Central Institute for Economic Management,asserted that the circular economy would serve businesses well byenabling the efficient use of resources andfacilitating their deeper involvement in the global supply chains.

She said the circular economy is no longer an option but an imperative forbusinesses because global customers have become more eco-consciousand willing to shift toward a more sustainable buying behaviour.

Vu Kim Hanh, chairman of the Association of Vietnamese High-quality Products,opined that the Government needs to take active steps to lay thegroundwork for a broad-based transition to the circular economy.

The to-do list should comprise a long-term scheme for the transition andthe entry into force of a sufficient number of legal documents thatregulate the notion.

She also said the feasibility of the circular economy in the country wouldhinge on technological, institutional, infrastructural, and human resourcesfactors.  

Nguyen The Chinh, director of the Environmental Economic Policy Institute,underlined several obstacles in the way of businesses trying to embrace thetransition.

The first obstacle involves advanced technology, which is not alwaysreadily accessible to a large number of businesses. Without advanced technologyat their disposal, many businesses get stuck in their traditional linearway of production.

The second obstacle centres around the rigidity of domestic consumption habits.For instance, a wide range of consumers back home keep usingplastic bags for their convenience and show a reluctance to shift gears,posing a setback for recyclable bags./.
VNA

See more

Vietnam is emerging as a preferred destination for many foreign enterprises (Photo: hanoimoi.vn)

Vietnam emerges as bright spot of growth, trusted and responsible partner

Despite a volatile global environment, Vietnam recorded solid gains in 2025. With flexible and proactive policies under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Government, all 15 key socio-economic targets were met or exceeded, while GDP expanded by about 8.02%, surpassing expectations.

An image of a Vietnamese game. CIS region has potential for gaming developers from Viet Nam. (Photo: Courtesy of cellphones.com.vn_

CIS: Opportunity for game developers in Vietnam

The CIS region, which includes Eastern Europe and Central Asia, has potential for gaming developers from Vietnam as this market displays user behaviour patterns that are highly favourable for mobile gaming growth, particularly around major holiday periods.

Banks, including MB Bank, have issued alerts about scams conducted via social media platforms such as Zalo and Facebook, where criminals impersonate acquaintances. (Photo: The Courtesy of MBBank)

Financial scams surge ahead of Tet

As the Lunar New Year (Tet) approaches, financial and banking scams in Vietnam are showing a sharp upward trend, prompting banks and law enforcement agencies to issue repeated warnings.

Hai Phong targets 4.3 billion USD in FDI in 2026 (Photo: VNA)

Hai Phong city targets 4.3 billion USD in FDI in 2026

Hai Phong’s investment appeal is underpinned by a rapidly expanding development space, including the Southern Coastal Economic Zone covering more than 20,000 hectares, a planned free trade zone, deep-water ports at Lach Huyen, and 12 industrial parks newly established in 2025.

The relocation of check-in counters aims to better meet the travel needs of residents and visitors. (Photo: VNA)

Vietjet shifts domestic check-in at Tan Son Nhat from January 13

During the recent New Year 2026 holiday peak, Vietjet added 380 flights, equivalent to nearly 78,000 additional seats, on many key domestic routes linking Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with destinations such as Vinh, Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang and Da Lat.

Commercial banks are providing approximately 88% of total green credit outstanding in Vietnam. (Photo: nhandan.vn)

Capital sources expanded for sustainable growth

According to the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), by the end of November 2025, outstanding green credit was estimated at around 750 trillion VND (28.55 billion USD), with an average growth rate exceeding that of overall credit in the economy.

Customers select goods at a supermarket. (Photo: VNA)

Retail market expands sharply, sustainability challenges persist

According to a report on recently released by the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Agency for Domestic Market Surveillance and Development, the size of the market reached more than 7 quadrillion VND (about 266 billion USD) in 2025, up around 10% compared with 2024.

Oil rigs at the Bach Ho oil field. (Photo: VNA)

Resolution 79: State economy to lead growth

Resolution 79 is described as a “clear action declaration” by the Politburo, saying the state economy is not only responsible for maintaining macroeconomic stability, but must also become the force leading a new growth model that is green and sustainable.

Workers at Garment 10 Corporation produce apparel for export. (Photo: Nhan Dan)

Vietnam leverages export advantages within RCEP region

In 2025, seafood exports to China alone exceeded 2.2 billion USD, up about 33% compared to 2024. Shipments to Japan fetched nearly 1.7 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 14.6%, while those to the Republic of Korea and Australia grew by 9.6% and 3.2%, respectively.

Certificates of membership in the Vietnam International Financial Centre in Da Nang are awarded at the conference on January 9. (Photo: VNA)

Da Nang continues targeted investment promotion approaches

According to Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee Pham Duc An, the city prioritises building sustainable economic ecosystems and focuses on key breakthrough sectors with strong spillover effects, including high technology and digital transformation, logistics, urban infrastructure, finance, processing and manufacturing industries, high-tech agriculture, and the pharmaceutical and medicinal herb industry.