Primary students exchange plastic waste for dairy products from FrieslandCampina Việt Nam company at an event organised by the company in cooperation with the Bình Dương Department of Natural Resources and Environment on Monday. Photo courtesy of the company

HCM CITY — FrieslandCampina Vietnam (FCV), one of the world’s largest dairy cooperatives, on Monday launched a campaign in Bình Dương Province that aims at tackling plastic pollution in celebration of World Environment Day (June 5).

Under the campaign, in cooperation with Bình Dương Department of Natural Resources and Environment, FCV encouraged local residents to exchange plastic waste for gifts such as Dutch Lady milk and other dairy products from the company.

Tens of thousands of dairy products such as Dutch Lady, Friso, Yomost and Fristi were presented to attendees as part of its commitment to bring better nutrition to consumers.

Around 1,000 primary students participated in activities and exhibitions aimed at raising public awareness about reducing the environmental impact on the planet and promoting the circular economy. 

With the mission of ‘For Việt Nam to Leap Forward and Reach Higher’, the company aims to provide high-quality and nutritious dairy products to consumers, especially children. 

In Việt Nam, it focuses on four main goals: mitigating the impact of climate change, using environmentally-friendly packaging, improving the lives of farmers, and providing consumers with high-quality nutritious products.

The company recently introduced Dutch Lady milk packed in natural brown paper cartons, which helps reduce CO2 emissions by around 10.4 per cent.

Tạ Thúy Hà, the company’s senior sales director, said the company has put sustainable development and social responsibility at the centre of its business strategy for almost 30 years of operation in Việt Nam. 

“We are always at the forefront of addressing waste challenges, including plastic waste,” she said. 

“We are the first in the world to install carbon footprint monitors at all our dairy farms, and introduce a system that helps farmers forecast and mitigate the environmental impact of their farms by implementing measures to reduce CO2 emissions, and conserve biodiversity.”

One of the first multinational dairy companies to come to Việt Nam in 1995, FCV has two modern factories in Bình Dương and Hà Nam provinces. 

World Environment Day 2023 was launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with the theme “Solutions to Plastic Pollution”, which concentrates on the “Beat Plastic Pollution” campaign. 

The global programme is supported by the Dutch Government. It is one of a number of countries actively addressing the global challenge of combating plastic pollution and working towards the benefits of a circular plastic economy. — VNS