Recyclers for the future of children

I was deeply impressed when I heard Thong say this at a talk about plastic waste recycling. After that, I happened to take a personal development class with Thong. From this class, we formed a group of friends who have been playing together until now.

My friend's full name is Le Trung Thong, currently living and working in Ho Chi Minh City, is the CEO and Founder of Lagom Company, a company specializing in collecting and recycling plastic waste. In the group, Thong is the most noticed for his humor, simplicity, personality and the great ideals that Thong is pursuing.

Thong is a person who loves nature and the environment, in addition to loving his children. Thong once said: "Parents do not only give their children the best food and the best learning environment, but we also need to preserve the sea, forests, clean water sources and fresh air for our children." I respect Thong even more when he has turned that love into practical action.

- Ảnh 1. — Thong goes to each school to teach children to classify and collect trash.

Preserving a clean environment for future generations

After much thought, Thong began to research and learn. In 2019, Thong and some like-minded friends founded Lagom, a company specializing in collecting and recycling milk cartons. Thong realized that preserving a clean environment for future generations is the responsibility of each person. Milk is a daily consumption product, milk cartons are in the form of waste that is very difficult to decompose. Therefore, Thong and his colleagues chose this type of waste to recycle first. Currently, Thong and Lagom are famous throughout the country and are known to international friends. Lagom's milk carton hanger products have been contracted to supply by a French fashion company.

Lagom also works with departments and principals to bring training programs to each local school. Lagom's activities include three stages: educating and changing children's awareness through lessons on plastic waste and waste classification, guiding students to collect milk cartons according to Lagom's steps; Lagom collects usable waste for recycling; Lagom produces products for business.

- Ảnh 2. — Guide students to collect milk cartons following Lagom's steps

These steps will be slow, according to Thong, but if millions of people know how to sort waste, they will collect valuable waste. Waste is divided into 3 types: organic waste, inorganic waste and other types of waste; each type will have a different way of recycling. To recycle, we need to sort the waste first.

As a loving father, Thong understands that changing the perception of a generation is not easy, teaching children something new is easier. Therefore, Thong chose the difficult path of going to each school to teach children to classify and collect trash. After that, Lagom produces products that directly serve the children such as toys, desks, tables and chairs in the school yard... Each toy has a clear note about how many milk cartons it is made from. This has a great impact on the children's perception because they can be proud that this toy is made from milk cartons collected by their own hands. In addition, Lagom has produced hangers and planters (currently sold on e-commerce platforms and spread by many friends and stores through affiliate marketing).

Products from recycled waste

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY AUTHOR

Thong and Lagom's program has become well-known to many people. In provinces and cities where Lagom cannot reach directly, people collect milk cartons, snack wrappers, and plastic waste themselves and send them by post to Lagom. Even though people pay for the shipping costs themselves, Thong still feels sorry because the postal shipping costs are too high, and everyone's money is equally sorry. Thong hopes that more people will know about Lagom's program so that more people can sort and collect plastic waste, gather it at one place, and then Lagom will come and collect it for recycling, saving costs for people.

- Ảnh 7. — Lagom produces products that directly serve children such as toys, desks, tables and chairs outside the school yard...

Thong's job is short but it is a narrow and difficult niche, rarely visited by many people. I once asked him: "Why do you still go when you know it's difficult?". Thong answered without hesitation: "Because if we don't do it, who will?". The short answer fully describes the determination of a citizen who loves the environment, a father who wants to keep the earth green and clean for his children and grandchildren.

Even the sharks in the Shark Tank Vietnam program once doubted and asked Thong: "Recycling is more complicated than renewing. Is there a time when you don't have time to recycle and you use new materials to produce?". Thong's answer made the sharks and me speechless: "I am a father of 3 sons, I want my children to have great ideals and ambitions. If I don't do what I promise, my children won't believe what I say." In every conversation, whether it's a friendly conversation or an exchange, Thong always admits that he doesn't speak well, but I find that every sentence Thong says is solid, every profound sentence Thong says makes me respect him more.

Thong once said in a meeting with young people: "You guys just collect plastic waste, we can recycle it." This is also the message I want to send to readers. This article is my way of joining hands with Thong to spread the meaningful work of Thong as well as Lagom within my ability - the ability of a teacher who loves literature and is practicing writing.