The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam has just issued the Vietnam Eco-label for plastic packaging, and the Binh Thuan Plastic Group has met all of the requirements to earn it. Vietnam Report Joint Stock Company honored Binh Thuan Plastic Group in October by listing them as one of the Top 10 Reputable Packaging Companies in 2023.
Ms. Nguyễn Thị Hồng Nhung – Deputy General Director of Binh Thuan Plastic Group.
⭐️ This is a source of pride for Binh Thuan Plastic Group, with 15 years of experience in the plastic industry, marking a significant milestone in the right direction for the group: sustainable development following ESG criteria (Environment – Social – Corporate Governance) according to the criteria of the Vietnam Eco-label for environmentally friendly plastic packaging recently issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. On November 7, 2023, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued Decision No. 3257/QD-BTNMT establishing the criteria for the Vietnam Eco-label for environmentally friendly plastic packaging, aiming to promote sustainable production and consumption, reduce solid waste, and greenhouse gas emissions from the production and handling of plastic packaging after use.
🍀 According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, plastic packaging can persist in the environment for hundreds of years before fully decomposing, leading to pollution issues due to lack of recycling and disposal along with other types of waste. The plastic production process for packaging also has significant environmental impacts, such as greenhouse gas emissions, fuel consumption, and natural resource depletion.
The issuance of the criteria for the Vietnam Eco-label for environmentally friendly plastic packaging aims to encourage sustainable production and consumption, enhance the competitiveness of certified products in the market, reduce solid waste through recycling and reusing plastic packaging, and minimize greenhouse gas emissions from the production and handling of plastic packaging after use.
Decision No. 3257/QD-BTNMT of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment specifies the general criteria and specific criteria for the Eco-label for environmentally friendly plastic packaging as follows:
👉 First, regarding materials, substances, and fuels: Originating from bio-based plastic materials (for biodegradable plastic packaging) or clean recycled PE, PP plastic (for recycled plastic packaging), and additives that do not contain components or substances in Vietnam’s import and use prohibition list.
👉 Second, regarding technical characteristics, allowable limits for pollution parameters in the product:
- The product ensures quality according to national standards or equivalent international standards (if available).
- For biodegradable plastic packaging: a minimum biodegradation rate of 90% within 2 years in natural environments, compost, or landfill sites.
- For recycled plastic packaging: a minimum of 20% of the packaging production material is from recycled plastic, with a thickness of 50 μm or more and a minimum size of 50 cm in each dimension.
- Maximum allowable content of heavy metals, non-metals, and Fluorine specified in packaging as follows: Arsenic (As): 5 mg/kg; Cadmium (Cd): 0.5 mg/kg; Lead (Pb): 50 mg/kg; Copper (Cu): 50 mg/kg; Zinc (Zn): 150 mg/kg; Mercury (Hg): 0.5 mg/kg; Nickel (Ni): 25 mg/kg; Chromium (Cr): 50 mg/kg; Molybdenum (Mo): 1 mg/kg; Selenium (Se): 0.75 mg/kg; Fluorine (F): 100 mg/kg.
👉 Third, regarding recovery, recycling, treatment, and disposal: A plan for recovering and recycling used packaging; information on the recycling facility address; the recovery and recycling process, disposal; recycling technology; solutions for recovering, recycling, treating, and disposing of used packaging and environmental protection measures by legal regulations.