Vietnam plastic recycling factory churns out 18,200 tons

Duy Tan recyling factory in Vietnam's southern province of Long An collected and recycled 18,200 tons of plastic waste, equivalent to 1.6 billion plastic bottles, in the first ten months of this year.

During that time, Duy Tan Plastic Recycling JSC exported 9,600 tons of plastic resin products to 12 countries, while 7,100 tons went for domestic use, said Le Anh, director of sustainable development for the company, during the "Green experience tour" at the factory last week.

Vietnam’s Association of High Quality Enterprises and Vietnam’s Business Studies and Assistance Center organized the tour to create an opportunity to share information, knowledge, and practical experience about circular economy models, and green, sustainable economies.

According to information from the company, each year, Vietnam generates 3.3 million tons of plastic waste, of which only 27% is collected and 10% is recycled. Faced with that situation, Duy Tan recycling factory was built on an area of 65,000 m2 with an investment of $60 million. The design capacity is 100,000 tons per year.

Le Anh said the factory meets 90% of the "three no's" standards, which are no emissions, no waste, and no wastewater. In particular, 90% of wastewater after being treated is returned to the production process, while 10% is used for landscaping purposes, and no wastewater is sent to the general treatment system at the industrial zone.

Challenges in collecting plastic waste

Recycled plastic businesses also face many challenges. The cost of products made from recycled plastic is still about 30% higher than that of virgin plastic. Another challenge is that raw materials must meet standards, ensuring that the output meets the strict requirements of purchasing partners.

According to Le Anh, raw materials are often mixed with many impurities and do not meet standards. Substandard classification increases the loss rate in Duy Tan's production process by up to 40–45%, which is the main reason why recycling costs remain high. To reduce waste rates and optimize the production process, Duy Tan is making efforts to purchase qualified waste materials.

Currently, Duy Tan has applied a set of purchasing criteria to more than 100 waste barns in the south, with an output of about 3,000 tons/month. This policy aims to ensure stable output for purchasing partners and create favorable conditions for the transition process and support agents in the process of purchasing plastic scrap materials.