Unilever Vietnam's Circular Economy Tech Wins Dual Sustainability Awards

Unilever Vietnam has received two prestigious awards for its sustainability efforts, underscoring a strategy that integrates green and digital transformation to advance a circular economy model. On June 11, the company was named in the Top 50 Corporate Sustainability Awards (CSA) 2026 in the "Responsible Consumption and Products" category, an event organized by Nhip Cau Dau Tu Magazine. This followed a win on May 30 at the Vietnam I4 Impact Awards 2026, which recognized its technology-enabled Material Recovery Facility (MRF) model in Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan My Ward.

The accolades highlight Unilever Vietnam's approach to developing practical solutions across the consumer goods value chain, from product innovation and packaging redesign to technology-driven systems for collection, sorting, and recycling. The company aims to embed environmental responsibility into everyday consumer choices.

These recognitions come as Vietnam intensifies its efforts to promote green growth, build a circular economy, and meet its 2050 net-zero emissions target. For manufacturers in the consumer goods sector, these national ambitions necessitate fundamental changes throughout the product lifecycle, encompassing formulation, packaging, production, consumption, and end-of-life recovery.

Integrating Sustainability into Product Lifecycles

At Unilever Vietnam, sustainability initiatives are applied across the entire value chain, from research and development to post-consumer recovery. A key example is its Sunlight Natural dishwashing liquid, which features Rhamno technology and uses 100 per cent plant-based cleaning ingredients. The product, which contains no added colorants or parabens, has a formula that is up to 99.7 per cent biodegradable without compromising on cleaning performance.

The product's packaging also adheres to circular economy principles. The company stated that post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic constitutes 100 per cent of the material for its 750g bottle and 80 per cent for its 3,500g bottle. This initiative helps reduce the use of virgin plastic by approximately 1,400 tons annually.

However, the company acknowledges that ensuring materials are recovered and recycled after use remains a significant challenge. To address this, Unilever Vietnam launched its Material Recovery Facility in Ho Chi Minh City in April 2026. The model digitizes the waste recovery process using the Grac mobile application, which allows for real-time recording and tracking of sorting, collection, transfer, and recycling activities. The system is designed to boost recovery rates, minimize material loss, and facilitate the return of recyclables into the production cycle.

Fostering a Collaborative Sustainability Ecosystem

Unilever Vietnam emphasizes that achieving long-term sustainability outcomes depends on collaboration among all stakeholders, including businesses, local authorities, technology providers, collectors, recyclers, and consumers.

Speaking at the panel discussion "Global Supply Chain Resilience & Execution Capability" during the Strategic Summit: The 3P Pivot, Ms. Bui Thi Thanh Huyen, Home Care Vietnam Commercial Lead at Unilever Vietnam, stressed that sustainability goals must be integrated into daily business operations and partner networks.

“Unilever approaches the circular economy by continuously improving the entire product journey from formulation and packaging to production and operations to reduce environmental impact while creating meaningful value for consumers, households, and communities,” Ms. Huyen said. “But sustainability cannot be a one-way requirement imposed by businesses alone. What matters is simultaneously raising standards and strengthening execution capabilities across the value chain, so that every stakeholder understands the standards, works with shared data, and shares responsibility. Only then can sustainability become a collective capability of the entire ecosystem.”

The company reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with the Vietnamese government and industry partners to advance the country's green growth and circular economy agenda. For Unilever, Vietnam is both a key market and a long-term investment destination, reflecting its deep-seated commitment to sustainable development in the nation. Industry observers note that as more corporations adopt such comprehensive strategies, their participation will be increasingly critical in helping Vietnam achieve its long-term sustainability ambitions.