Nguyễn Văn Được, chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, speaks at the Demo Day held as part of InnoEx 2026. — Photos courtesy of the organisers

HCM CITY — Eleven Vietnamese innovations showcased scalable solutions to tackle plastic pollution at Demo Day on August 20, part of the International Exhibition and Forum on Innovation and Sustainable Development (InnoEx 2026), demonstrating how innovation can turn environmental challenges into opportunities for business growth and positive impact.

The innovations have undergone two months of incubation and nine months of acceleration under the UNDP-led Plastics Innovation Programme, supported by the United Nations Peace and Development Fund’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Sub-Fund and The Coca-Cola Foundation.

The programme addresses plastic waste across the value chain, from collection and sorting to reuse, recycling and behaviour change. Collectively, the pilot initiatives have helped prevent, collect, recycle or properly treat more than 750 tonnes of plastic waste while testing alternative materials, digital data systems, circular business models, improved technologies and innovative financing mechanisms.

The Coca-Cola Foundation views innovation as a key driver in tackling the plastic waste crisis and advancing a circular economy in Việt Nam. Through its partnership with UNDP, the foundation aims to help these initiatives grow beyond the initial support phase to become self-sustaining and scalable, generating lasting environmental, social and economic value.

The programme has also connected innovators with investors, businesses and strategic partners, creating pathways for solutions to move beyond the pilot stage. Demo Day highlighted this progress through partnership agreements, including collaborations between CEL’s LoopNet digital platform and TPC Distribution Vietnam, and between MAB’s Cyan Truck model and Rogo Solutions.

Eleven Vietnamese innovations showcased scalable solutions to tackle plastic pollution at Demo Day on August 20, part of InnoEx 2026.

With technical support from the Business Startup Support Centre (now SIHUB) and Investment Business Partners, participating teams also gained access to the Green Innovation Fellowship and investment platform at InnoEx 2026.

Speaking at the event, Nguyễn Văn Được, chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, said the city was ready to pilot innovative solutions for reducing plastic waste and emissions.

“The city is ready to facilitate controlled trials of waste collection, recycling and material circularity models, selecting suitable areas for pilots at a sufficient scale to validate their effectiveness and gradually scale them up,” he said.

"These innovators have shown that environmental solutions can also create economic opportunity, strengthen communities, and accelerate Viet Nam's transition towards a circular economy. But innovation alone is not enough. Successful solutions need to connect with investment, policy, and partnerships so they can move beyond pilots and deliver impact at scale," said UNDP Resident Representative Ramla Khalidi.

Nguyễn Đỗ Anh Tuấn, director general of the International Cooperation Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said the ministry would continue working with HCM City, UNDP and partners to connect innovative initiatives with policy development and implementation while encouraging businesses and investors to help promising solutions scale up. — BIZHUB/VNS