From the orientation of fast and sustainable development towards green growth of the province, the movement of green startups and applying the circular economy (CE) model is spreading vigorously.
Handicraft products can be applied employing the CE model
Clean and friendly
Originally an English teacher, but with a passion for medicinal herbs since she was a student, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tra My often groped to make cleaners used in the family to ensure safety and health.
Finding that many people around her face hair and skin problems, she wondered if she had a solution, why did she not share them? Hence, Ms. Tra My boldly started a business with medicinal products of natural origin.
In 2019, Tra My Natural Products Co., Ltd. was born, specializing in the production, distribution and sales of personal and household care products that are made from medicinal herbs, such as shampoo, shower gel, cleaning solution, sanitizer, multi-purpose cleanser, dishwashing liquid, lipsticks, soap, essential oil, hand sanitizer, etc.
“Focusing on products that derive from natural herbs, I always aspire to bring the most qualified and safest products to users in order to contribute to the improvement of people's healthy lifestyles by using products containing natural ingredients, which are safe for health and do not affect the environment,” said Ms. Tra My.
After years of pursuing the philosophy of "intellectual agriculture", the products of Hoang Mai Clean Agriculture Co., Ltd. (M.A.I Organics) are not only welcomed by customers, but also widely distributed in supermarkets and clean food stores in Thua Thien Hue. To be initiated by people who love clean agriculture, the products of this business do not use harmful chemicals and have no residues of pesticides, nitrates and antibiotics.
Ms. Hoang Thanh Mai, co-founder of M.A.I Organics, shared: “We aspire to become the leading business in the Central of Vietnam in providing clean, safe and environmentally friendly farm products, ensuring the consumers’ health. Emphasizing quality, we ensure that farm products are always fresh and clean from production until delivery to customers”.
In addition to fresh food and processed food, M.A.I Organics also distributes tableware made from sea grape leaves, areca spathe, wood, bamboo and grass instead of single-use plastic to reduce plastic waste.
The inevitable trend
Tra My Natural Products Co., Ltd. and Hoang Mai Clean Agriculture Co., Ltd. are two green startup models which apply the CE model in Thua Thien Hue. At the exhibitions and shows of green economic products, the products of these two enterprises are always interested by many people due to their cleanliness and safety. These are also the two models that are incubated and supported by the Innovation Startup Hub of the Thua Thien Hue Institute for Development Studies, according to the CE model.
Mr. Cao Quoc Hai, Deputy Director of the Innovation Startup Hub, said that at present, the hub is incubating and supporting 30 businesses to transform themselves applying the CE model. After the training courses, their business perception had begun to change. They reviewed the production process to change the mode of production, conduct reuse or cycle in production; these help businesses save costs and reduce environmental pollution, consumers aware of using these products is environmentally friendly; thereby, changing the consumers' perceptions.
Also, shared by Mr. Hai, the green startup is a startup model in which the value of circulation and reuse is emphasized to improve production efficiency for businesses. Currently, the green startup movement with the application of CE model in Thua Thien Hue is spreading. This is also an inevitable trend when the province orients to develop a green economy and circular economy.
Moreover, when a business converts to the CE model, there will be cost savings based on the creation of cycles, and positive values get increase every single time using or reusing materials before the final stage of destruction.
Different from the traditional economy, the CE is a system that, right from the step of designing materials, making products, operating processes and setting up business models, aims toward the use of renewable energy and avoids the use of chemicals and hazardous waste. More importantly, when the business develops to a larger scale and exports to the EU, US or developed countries, the requirements for entry certificates are very high. This is closely related to C.E., - the products must be clean and circular during the production process.
“The products of businesses in Thua Thien Hue are mostly related to agriculture, handicrafts, etc., using input materials with low environmental impact, which can be reused more favorably according to CE. However, the difficulty of businesses today is the lack of technology and logistics. The market situation is also a common difficulty of the startup movement. The participation in digital transformation and E-commerce is still not professional and there is a lack of professional agencies to support sales," said Mr. Hai.
The most difficulty for businesses is market distribution. Natural and clean products are well-received by consumers. They are aware that those are good and safe products but are hard to compete in prices with industrial goods.
According to Ms. Tra My, in Hue, people are familiar with using industrial cleansers due to the competitive price. Therefore, it is necessary to have the support of the local authorities on policies and communication methods to raise people's awareness in the use of environmentally friendly products. Consumers accepting the products is the key to improving the efficiency of the CE.
Story, photo: Minh Hien