First factory producing biodegradable plastic bags to be built in Long An

A plant producing plastic biodegradable bags, the first of its kind in Vietnam, will be constructed in a plastics industrial zone in southern Long An province.

The plant is expected to reduce the use of traditional plastic bags in daily life.
The plant is expected to reduce the use of traditional plastic bags in daily life.

The information was announced Wednesday in a meeting co-organised by the Centre for Technological Rubber Plastic and Energy Management Training, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Trade and Vietnam Plastic House Co., Ltd to introduce biodegradable plastic bag manufacturing technology and the construction plan for the facility.

Nguyen Hoang Duy, General Director of Vietnam Plastic House Co., Ltd said that the US$10 million construction project is a joint venture between his company and Guangzhou Biodegradable Plastic Co., Ltd (China), aiming to improve raw domestic material sources and transfer modern technology to help Vietnam produce environmentally friendly products.

The project targets by 2020 to reduce plastic bags used in supermarkets and commercial centres by 65% in comparison with 2010, and plastic bags used in public markets by 50%. The project also aims to collect and recycle 50% of the total amount of plastic bags used in daily life.

According to Zhu Guang Fu, President of Guangzhou Biodegradable Plastic Co., Ltd, the plant is able to process approximately 3,000 tonnes a year, supplying bioplastic granules to gradually replace traditional fossil ones. Through the co-operative relationship between the two companies, machinery to produce biodegradable plastic resin from flour will offer new sources of bioplastic material and bring new opportunities for development of plastics businesses, he affirmed.