Vietnam’s plastics pioneer expands global presence

Vietnam’s plastics recycling industry is thriving, according to Duytan, one of the country’s leading players. The company is pulling out all the stops to grow its business in Europe.

‘We process around 100 000 tonnes of plastics a year and already collaborate with major brands like Pepsi-Cola, Nestlé and Unilever,’ says company sales director Tracy Duong. ‘All have production hubs in Vietnam, making us the obvious choice to deliver recyclates.’

Recycling International runs into her at the recent PRSE plastics recycling expo in Amsterdam — an important event to help accelerate the recyler’s growing global presence.

Duytan’s recycling enterprise was launched in 2019 which Duong says was a ‘logical’ addition to its plastics packaging manufacturing business. ‘We pride ourselves on 100% bottle-to-bottle recycling. We’re setting up a US subsidiary in California as we speak to build on our success. Currently around 50% of our output goes to America.’

Overcoming legal hurdles

The next step is establishing a presence in Europe. ‘This was our original goal when expanding overseas. We even bought European recycling machinery in 2019. It was quite a big investment. Sadly, there have been too many legal barriers to make it work. At times, we were really close to closing a contract but the rules changed and it was game over.’

Duong goes on: ‘When we apply for a contract in the US, we can be accredited within six months. In Europe, it easily takes a year and you lose momentum. Overregulation, red tape… that’s what it is. It’s discouraging but we remain determined to succeed.’

And she adds: ‘We’ve already had very interesting conversations with recyclers and packaging producers here in Amsterdam. It’s a reason to be optimistic about what lies ahead.’

Record start to 2025

Duong tells Recycling International Duytan almost hit its annual tonnage from 2024 in the first three months of this year – around 70 000 tonnes. That’s a record the recycler is very proud of. ‘I’d say 30% of fractions is going to the domestic market, 20% to Asian countries nearby, with another 10% going to Europe.’

He smile widens with confidence. ‘I have set a personal target for myself to change the numbers: I want to realise at least 30% business in Europe by the end of this year.’