Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, December 4th 2015; Vietnam Recycles – the free take-back program for used or defective electronic equipment supported by Apple and HP – in conjunction with the Ho Chi Minh Department of Natural Resources and Environment recently officially announced the four in-city permanent collection points.

Those four e-waste collection points, that have been set-up already in the course of the Vietnam Recycling Week 2015 in April, have been upgraded to long-term venues for citizens’ e-waste disposal. The activity is a part of Vietnam Recycles’ commitment to building a greener Vietnam.

Vietnam Recycles is a free take-back program for used or defective electronic products with an aim to ensure their safe and environmentally sound recycling. In this program, all used or defective electronic products will be collected and processed in a safe and professional manner to ensure highly professional waste treatment and to achieve maximal recovery of natural resources.

Mrs. Monina de Vera-Jacob, South East Asia (SEA) Environmental Manager at HP said of the announcement: “After having been founded only in 2015, Vietnam Recycles already has nine collection points in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.  We are working extremely closely with relevant authorities nationwide to encourage citizens to develop sound e-waste recycling practices.”

Installed at several densely populated districts in Ho Chi Minh City, 4 collection containers designed exclusively to comply with the regulations of the Vietnamese government’s Decision 16 for e-waste collection are expected to conveniently serve citizens’ needs for the disposing of unwanted electrical items. All collected end-of-life consumer electrical and electronic from individuals and households are sorted according to product categories and dismantled in a designated process to assure maximum material recovery of the different commodities.

Yet, the volumes of electric waste materials received from households and individuals are quite low as people still have to change their disposal habits and understand the importance of professional recycling processes.

“Vietnam Recycles is guided by the idea that manufacturers, consumers and governments have a shared responsibility for treating end-of-life electronic equipment in an environmentally responsible manner to reserve our health and living environment. We have done our parts by offering citizens the place of e-waste disposal and more importantly recycling e-wastes. It is now time for citizens to complete the whole process by joining us in this program, giving away their discarded electric products in a proper way to create a greener country.” Mrs. Monina de Vera-Jacob continued.

The program will also benefit the electric manufacturers who are required to take back their discarded electric products based on Vietnam’s Prime Ministerial Decision 16 which will come into effect in July 2016. In particular, this new decision sees manufacturers’ take-back responsibility for their products or setting up places for consumers to give away the electronic wastes either made by them or other manufacturers to prevent the indiscriminately dispose of e-waste into the environment.

Vietnam Recycles’ five permanent collection points include:

• Ho Chi Minh Department of Natural Resources and Environment
• Peoples Committees 15, District 4
• Peoples Committees 17, Phu Nhuan District
• Peoples Committees, Binh Thanh District

People looking to dispose of used or defective electrical or electronic equipment can come to designated collection points that are listed on the program website at www.vietnamrecycles.com / www.vietnamtaiche.com.vn.  Terms and conditions apply. Institutions or companies that are interested to become the program’s collection points can also apply for registration via the website.

About Vietnam Recycles

Vietnam Recycles is a free take-back for used or defective electrical and electronic equipment to ensure their safe and environmentally sound recycling. 

All used or defective electrical and electronic equipment returned through the program are safely collected and professionally processed to achieve maximum recovery of natural resources and ensure highly professional waste treatment. 

Vietnam Recycles is run by the Vietnam Recycling Platform (VRP), a consortium of leading producers of electrical and electronic equipment founded by HP PPS Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. and Apple South Asia Pte. Ltd.. The objectives of the Vietnam Recycling Platform are to reduce electronic waste, increase recycling and manage the environmental, health and safety impact of products at the end of their life cycles. 

Vietnam Recycles is operated by the assigned General Contractor – RLG Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.