Green packaging – the trend of Vietnam packaging industry

Industrial packaging is a development opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises. This industry is considered a fast-growing industry with a growth rate of 10 - 15%. One of the enterprises contributing to this proportion is SIG Vietnam Company - a corporation from Switzerland.

Bà Võ Xuân Minh Kha - Giám đốc SIG Việt Nam chia sẻ về thực trạng ngành công nghiệp bao bì và ngành bao bì xanh phục vụ lĩnh vực F&B (thực phẩm và đồ uống)

Ms. Vo Xuan Minh Kha - Director of SIG Vietnam.

Ms. Vo Xuan Minh Kha - Director of SIG Vietnam shared about the current situation of the packaging industry and the green packaging industry serving the F&B (food and beverage) sector.

According to you, how is the packaging industry, especially green, environmentally friendly packaging, received by Vietnamese businesses?

Ms. Vo Xuan Minh Kha: Looking at the overall picture of Vietnam's packaging industry, this is one of the fastest growing industries in our country, with an expected growth rate of 15 - 25% in the coming years. The world's leading market research organization Mordor Intelligence Inc announced that the size of the Vietnamese paper box packaging market is estimated to reach 2.6 billion USD in 2024 and is expected to reach 4.14 billion USD in 2029, with a CAGR of 9.73% in the period 2024-2029. SIG wants to increase its presence to seize the opportunities that this growth brings.

The opportunity and growth potential in Vietnam’s packaging industry is enormous. SIG has the ability to contribute to global climate, nature, circularity and nutrition goals, and grow our business by helping our customers meet demand for more sustainable products. Our packaging helps deliver safe, affordable and shelf-stable nutrition to those without access to cold storage – with the smallest carbon footprint of any packaging. We are now leading the way towards fully renewable packaging systems.

Dây chuyền sản xuất sữa Kun được SIG lắp ráp

Kun milk production line is assembled by SIG.

What is SIG doing to make a difference? What opportunities are there for Vietnamese businesses to participate in the eco-friendly packaging industry?

SIG has the potential to contribute to global goals on climate, nature, circularity and nutrition – and to grow our business by helping customers meet demand for more sustainable products. Our packaging has provided safe, affordable and shelf-stable nutrition for those without access to cold storage – with the lowest carbon footprint of any packaging. We have set industry-leading targets in four interconnected action areas, Climate+, Forests+, Resources+ and Food+, all underpinned by our commitment to sustainable innovation and a responsible culture. Our actions in each of these areas will deliver lasting change and maximum positive impact for people and planet, as we strive to give back more than we take.

Specifically, SIG Terra is our most sustainable packaging innovation, delivering multiple industry-leading firsts and exclusives with outstanding shelf appeal and outstanding environmental credentials.

What opportunities are there for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access SIG technologies at affordable prices?

SIG recognises the importance of supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and is committed to making our innovative technologies accessible to them at affordable prices.

We have a wide range of packaging options, including aseptic, refrigerated, bag-in-box, and pouch-with-lid packaging. We offer customers a wide range of choices in packaging type, shape, volume, closure, packaging material, connectivity, and distribution channels.

With a large global packaging network across all the categories we operate in, we can help SMEs accelerate innovation through our ecosystem of leading partners. They will be able to create more products, use specialist equipment, scale up easily and quickly, and ensure quick turnaround times, all while keeping overall investment costs low.

SIG has 5 R&D centers around the world where we work closely with customers to develop innovative packaging solutions that meet their needs and provide the opportunity to validate and manufacture real products. The SIG Incubator is another turnkey solution that helps accelerate innovative ideas to market, providing support to existing customers and F&B startups looking to bring breakthrough products to market. The ultimate goal is to accelerate innovation and bring these products to market in the shortest possible time.

The trend of fast food and online shopping is putting more and more pressure on the environment due to the huge amount of plastic waste from plastic boxes and cups. In your opinion, how can we change and what needs to be done to make consumers, businesses and restaurants accept the use of more environmentally friendly packaging when plastic packaging is still the most competitive in terms of price?

Packaging plays a vital role in modern society as it protects products, extends their shelf life and facilitates transportation. In Vietnam, the increasing problem of plastic waste has made the application of a circular economy to packaging urgent. According to the World Bank, an estimated 3.1 million tons of plastic waste are dumped on land in Vietnam every year, and at least 10% of this ends up in the ocean.

However, growing awareness among consumers and businesses about the environmental consequences of plastic waste has driven a clear shift towards sustainable packaging solutions. The Vietnamese government is also taking proactive measures to promote sustainable packaging development, such as reducing plastic waste, supporting sustainable packaging production, and raising consumer awareness.

Những nghiên cứu bao bì của SIG tập trung vào sức khỏe con người và tiết kiệm chi phí sản xuất

SIG's packaging research focuses on human health and cost savings in production.

SIG is fully committed to the goal of net zero emissions and supports and complements the sustainability efforts of food and beverage (F&B) companies. We are the first carton packaging company in the world to achieve Chain of Custody (CoC) certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI). We are also the first in the industry to use 100% FSC-certified paperboard in our packaging, indicating that the materials used are sourced from FSC-certified forests.

The SIG Neo 18 Aseptic is at the heart of SIG’s next generation filling technology platform and can fill up to 18,000 cartons per hour. Not only does it reduce water usage by 60%, it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 25% per carton. Designed to deliver the highest hourly throughput for mid-size carton packaging on the market, the SIG Neo 18 Aseptic also delivers operational savings.