From scraps to 3-star OCOP products
In 2017, while working at a fashion store in Hoi An, Ms. Tran Thi Kim Soi (Hoi An Tay ward) noticed that too much excess fabric was being thrown away after sewing. As a fashion design student, she decided to try to use it to make small accessories such as: hair ties, headbands, earrings, etc.
Surprisingly, these recycled products quickly became popular with customers. “Looking at the discarded sacks of fabric from the garment factory, I thought it was wasteful and polluting. I wanted to turn them into something useful, beautiful and environmentally friendly,” Ms. Soi recalled.
Realizing this was a good opportunity to start a business, Ms. Soi decided to do business and invited other women to join in production, taking advantage of the surplus fabric that was abundant in the old town. Initially, small pieces of fabric were made into hairpins and earrings; large pieces were made into scarves, bags, and clothes. To date, her Soi Handmade brand has developed with more than 40 diverse product lines: handbags, clothes, accessories, and household items.
According to Ms. Soi, the highlight of her journey was participating in the Creative Startup Festival of Quang Nam Province (old) and winning the Encouragement Prize. From that mark, she brought her startup project to participate in the OCOP product classification evaluation. In 2024, Soi Handmade's fashion accessory gift product made from scrap fabric was selected and classified as a 3-star OCOP by the People's Committee of Dien Ban Town (old).
More determined to aim for sustainable fashion and diversify products, bring higher value, increase income for members, Soi Handmade creates more bags, clothes, pillowcases, hats... from recycled fabrics. Notable among them is the K'Lang fabric bag, combining recycled fabric with ethnic Co Tu brocade patterns. In 2025, the product will be recognized as a 3-star OCOP, not only affirming its economic value but also its cultural identity and sustainability.
In addition to production, Ms. Soi also organizes weekend workshops for children, locals, and tourists to experience recycling leftover fabric into accessories. At the store on Tan Thanh beach, customers not only shop but also learn how to “breathe life” into scrap fabric.
I hope there will be more outlets and more people doing it. Scraps are everywhere, the problem is how we perceive them.
Ms. Tran Thi Kim Soi, representative of Soi Handmade
Sending green aspirations from the sea net
Unlike Soi Handmade, the project "Environment-friendly mesh bag" - EchoBag by Mr. Ngo Tan Thien, Director of EchoGreen Company Limited (Huong Tra ward) is a community initiative to contribute to reducing plastic waste, promoting circular economy and spreading green lifestyle.
With a product that replaces nylon bags, the project is also a sustainable green transformation model, associated with ESG (environment - society - governance) solutions for businesses and Vietnam's Net Zero goal.
According to Mr. Ngo Tan Thien, “Environmentally friendly mesh bags” - EchoBag is deployed according to the circular economy model. Starting from old meshes collected by the company from coastal provinces in the Central region, processed, cleaned and reused into shopping bags, garbage sorting bags, and fashion bags.
Instead of being thrown away, old nets and recycled plastic are collected, processed and designed into durable - beautiful - useful bags. This product is returned to the consumer market, reducing dependence on virgin plastic, creating economic value for the local community.
“More specifically, when the bags are no longer usable, the company will collect the old ones and exchange them for new ones to recycle and produce new mesh bags for the next cycle or other products from plastic granules. Thereby, spreading the message of “reducing plastic waste, protecting the blue ocean” to the community,” Mr. Thien expressed.
The project is currently creating jobs for women, people with disabilities, youth and coastal fishermen through the collection, processing and production of net bags.
This is a “community green economy” model, helping to increase income, reduce fishing pressure and encourage people to participate in ocean protection. At the same time, the products are consumed in supermarkets, traditional markets, eco-tourism, contributing to building the image of a green - friendly - sustainable community.
Mr. Thien said that the highlight of the project is its transferability and replicability. The model is designed in a “packaged” manner, meaning it has complete processes, tools, training materials and technical solutions for rapid deployment in other localities.
In particular, coastal areas, which are heavily affected by marine debris, will be a top priority for replication and the formation of community green production clusters.
With a long-term vision, “Environment-loving mesh bag” - EchoBag does not only stop at replacing nylon bags, but also directly contributes to Vietnam's carbon neutral, Net zero roadmap by 2050. Through reducing plastic waste, recycling materials and saving energy in production, the project has proven that with a small initiative, community participation can become an important piece in the global Net Zero journey.
Mr. Ngo Tan Thien, Director of EchoGreen Company Limited
Source: https://baodanang.vn/phat-trien-ben-vung-voi-khoi-nghiep-xanh-3299939.html
Comment (0)