At the NPAP Plastics Talk session “Closing the Loop with Post-consumer Recycled (PCR) Plastics” on 16 June 2025, Indorama Ventures Vietnam, represented by Country Head & Vice Chairman, Mr. Vinay Bhardwaj, took the stage as a prominent voice in circular economy solutions. Mr. Vinay delivered a keynote presentation and joined a panel discussion with industry peers including Unilever Vietnam and PepsiCo Global. Hosted by the National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the event brought together public and private sector leaders to drive practical solutions to plastic waste.

The game-changer in the circular packaging revolution

In his presentation, Mr. Vinay outlined Indorama Ventures Vietnam’ ambitious roadmap for scaling the use of post-consumer PET and enabling vertical integration from recycled flakes to preforms and bottles. From the outset, it was clear the company isn’t just reacting to environmental pressures – it is leading systemic transformation.

Key highlights included:

• The Flake-to-Preform (F2P) breakthrough: A process that eliminates intermediate steps in PET recycling. By cutting down on energy use, emissions, and logistics complexity, this groundbreaking technology is proving to be an industry game-changer in advancing commercial-scale circular packaging adoption.
• Sustainability impact: Through F2P and other technologies, Indorama Ventures Vietnam is helping its customers – including leading FMCG brands – meet their recycled content goals while maintaining product integrity and regulatory compliance.

The presentation also showcased the six-pronged strategy driving PET circularity: Infrastructure, Regulation, Finance, Innovation, Education, and Collaboration. As Mr. Vinay emphasized, “No single entity can solve circularity alone. It’s a shared journey requiring shared responsibility”.

Panel Discussion: Unlocking the PCR market in Vietnam

Following the insightful presentation, Mr. Vinay joined a panel discussion on “Unlocking the PCR Market in Vietnam”, where cross-sector voices addressed critical challenges in how to scale up the use of post-consumer recycled materials (PCR).

Key takeaways from Indorama Ventures Vietnam’s perspective included:

• Strategic integration matters, policy enablers needed: The vertical integration model adopted in Vietnam has demonstrated that a localized, closed-loop system, from collection to bottle manufacturing – is not only feasible but commercially viable. Mr. Vinay also called for stronger market incentives such as VAT exemptions for PCR materials, and public-private investments in collection infrastructure.
• Quality and traceability as non-negotiables: Mr. Vinay emphasized the company’s rigorous quality control across the recycling process. From real-time in-line monitoring systems to stringent food-grade compliance and batch traceability, the integrated system ensures consistent high-quality output aligned with global safety standards.
• Collaboration over competition: A powerful theme that emerged throughout the session was the importance of industry-wide cooperation. Indorama Ventures Vietnam openly advocated for multi-brand partnerships to pool demand, share investment burdens, and drive unified standards for recycled content.

A reflection of Indorama Ventures’ global purpose

Indorama Ventures Vietnam’s presence at NPAP Plastics Talk 2025 reflects its dual commitment: contributing to Vietnam’s national sustainability goals as a leader in sustainable plastics while advancing Indorama Ventures’ global mission of building a circular plastics economy.

As the thought-provoking session concluded, it became clear that unlocking the PCR market in Vietnam is not a question of if, but rather how soon – and Indorama Ventures Vietnam is determined to be at the forefront of that sustainable transformation.