Not a slogan, this is a very real KPI of the most potential milk brand in the world

When 80% of global consumers are willing to pay more for green products, the question is no longer “to switch or not” but “which businesses are ready”?

“How many times have we bought something just because it was on sale? How many times have we thrown away leftover food because we overcooked it? And how many times have we thought that the little things... were okay?”

Nguyen Minh Tuan shared in the program Find Your R - a communication campaign launched by Vinamilk to encourage the community to act for the environment through small habits such as Recycle, Reuse, Repair, Rethink...

The “R” that Tuan chose was Rethink. From then on, he started asking questions before every purchase: Is this item really necessary? Is this product packaging recyclable? “Rethinking is not to live a strict life, but to live more consciously and responsibly towards the environment,” he concluded.

Hao Dinh – a young mother – chose the word Recycle. From Vinamilk Hero milk cartons, she encouraged her children to turn them into multi-compartment pen holders. “The process was both fun and strengthened the sisterhood, helping children love and protect the environment more,” she shared.

Vinamilk milk cartons are "reborn" into lovely models (Photo: Minh Anh).

When shopping habits shape product standards

The sharing of Nguyen Minh Tuan, Hao Dinh and nearly 400 accounts sent to the Find Your R program is not just personal thoughts. It is a clear signal of a change in consumer behavior: from shopping based on preferences to making environmentally responsible choices.

Accompanying consumers for nearly half a century, Vinamilk is one of the few businesses that have noticed this change quite early. Mr. Le Hoang Minh - Executive Director of Production, Head of Net Zero Project Vinamilk - summarized these changes at the talkshow "Promoting green consumption - Towards sustainable development" held within the framework of the Green Vietnam Festival 2025.

“Nearly 50 years ago, consumers were only concerned with having milk for their children, even buying unlabeled products at the market. With economic development and income, they pay more attention to quality, nutritional content and brand. In recent years, as consumers have become more knowledgeable and responsible for the future, they prioritize environmentally friendly products,” said Mr. Minh.

Mr. Le Hoang Minh - Executive Director of Production, Head of Net Zero Project Vinamilk - shared at the talk show "Promoting green consumption - Towards sustainable development" held within the framework of Green Vietnam Festival (Photo: Organizing Committee).

This is backed up by the numbers: 89% of global consumers have changed their shopping habits to be more environmentally friendly, with 80% willing to pay more for green products (Eco-Conscious Consumer Report, 2025). In Vietnam, 54% of respondents said they would be willing to pay up to 10% more for products made from recycled or sustainable materials.

But not having to wait until seeing pressure from consumers, Mr. Le Hoang Minh said that Vinamilk's efforts towards sustainable development existed before the concepts of "green development" and "green consumption" were mentioned in Vietnam. More than ten years ago, the enterprise invested in farms and factories worth thousands of billions of VND, both improving production capacity and reducing emissions. Modern technologies such as LGV robots that help reduce CO2 emissions by 62% compared to forklifts running on fossil fuels; smart warehouses that save 70% of energy compared to traditional warehouses... were also applied early.

LGV robots help reduce CO2 emissions by 62% compared to fossil fuel-powered forklifts (Photo: Nam Anh).

It is estimated that by 2024, nearly 90% of fossil energy in production will be replaced by green energy (solar energy, CNG, biomass, etc.). Thanks to that, as soon as Vietnam announced its actions towards Net Zero by 2050, Vinamilk had 3 units achieving carbon neutrality according to international standards. The company said it was ready to conquer the milestone of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 15% by 2027, 27% by 2035 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

The advantage of those who know how to turn barriers into opportunities

While in Vietnam, the green consumption trend still depends on the awareness of buyers; in developed countries, there are binding mechanisms for manufacturers. Recently, the European Union (EU) has approved the target of reducing emissions by 90% compared to 1990 by 2035, along with more than 700 current green compliance regulations.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Dinh Tho, Deputy Director of the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Agriculture and Environment, assessed: “If businesses do not comply with green policies, do not report emissions and do not reduce emissions, we will face the risk of losing export markets, leading to slower growth. Consumers will also boycott non-green products.”

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Dinh Tho, Deputy Director of the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Agriculture and Environment, shared at the Green Vietnam Festival 2025 (Photo: Organizing Committee).

On the other hand, opportunities will belong to businesses that have prepared early. Mr. Le Hoang Minh said that more than 10 years ago, Vinamilk was ready to provide a sustainable development report independent of its financial report, with emissions data measured according to international standards.

This is the premise for businesses to maintain double-digit export growth. By 2024, bottle cap innovation will help eliminate more than 4.1 million plastic straws and increase export revenue in New Zealand by nearly 80%. In the first 9 months of this year alone, export turnover reached more than 5,500 billion VND, up 25.3% over the same period.

“Green production is not only a responsibility but also an opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises to improve their competitiveness and accompany the Government in the goal of sustainable development,” Mr. Minh emphasized.

As consumers become increasingly knowledgeable and concerned about the environment, the advantage will belong to businesses that prepare early (Photo: Minh Anh).

To promote the green transformation race in Vietnam, Vinamilk representative said that in addition to the legal framework, communication to raise consumer awareness plays a key role. Not only stopping at regular campaigns such as Find Your R, Vinamilk also implements many activities to spread messages of environmental protection and sustainable consumption.

A typical example is the program to encourage consumers to collect and recycle packaging "Pretty boxes are reborn", which has collected more than 3.1 million milk cartons, with more than 25,000 customers participating. If these cartons were arranged in a row, they would form a road about 370 km long - equivalent to the length of the coastline from Vung Tau to Nha Trang. In addition, programs such as the 1 million trees fund for Vietnam and the Net Zero forest in Ca Mau Cape have both contributed to building a carbon absorption "tank" and called for the cooperation of related communities in protecting and developing the tree fund.

NL

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/khong-phai-khau-hieu-day-la-kpi-rat-that-cua-thuong-hieu-sua-tiem-nang-nhat-toan-cau-269691.htm