VIETNAM – Việt Nam is considered to be one of the major plastic polluters in the world, discharging about 3.1 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, including 0.28-0.73 million tonnes of plastic waste discharged into the ocean. Recognizing the threat of plastic pollution and the need to act on sustainability, Autogrill VFS F&B has pioneered numerous programs under the banner of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”.
Since launching in early 2019, the programs have been excellently practiced by all employees across 5 branches and fully supported by customers. It creates a positive point of difference at our locations and has been well received by our partners.
Say No to straws, lids and bags
The World Bank’s “Vietnam: Plastic Pollution Diagnostics” shows that plastic waste is by far the most abundant type of waste collected in river and coastal sites, accounting for 94% of the number of items and 71% by weight. Take-away food packaging waste was the most abundant source of plastic waste found in the field surveys (44 per cent in number). Plastic wastes are easy to be found in popular tourist attractions, especially on some famous beach destinations that we are doing business. Plastic products are an indispensable part of our lives thank to its convenience and ubiquity. However, they are the primary source of pollution in our environment since it can take up to 1000 years to decompose. Moreover, it is worth realizing that not every plastic can be recycled. Items which are smaller than 2 inches such as plastic straws and utensils fall into the machinery system, making them difficult or impossible to recycle.
Autogrill VFS F&B is one of the first organization in Vietnam has run "Say No To Straws, Lids and Bags" program strongly and consistently nationwide. We stop serving plastic straws, lids and bags to our customers. We provide paper straws to those extremely need it and control paper packaging the best we can. As a pioneer, we got some hesitation and confusion from the team and customers at the start. But thanks to our sincere, patience and enthusiasm, customers get more idea and later on feel appreciated with what we are doing.
Serving reusable drinkware for dine-in customers
Most of us like to think we’re doing the right thing with the empty cup and throw it into the bin marked “recycling”. The fact is that only 1 out of 400 coffee cups are recycled, the rest are end up in landfill sites for centuries.
Consequently, for environmental sustainability replacing disposables with drinkware and cutlery that can be reused multiple times is the best way to go. At our 85 stores around 5 airports, Autogrill VFS F&B started to serve our products in ceramics, glasses and unbreakable cups for dine-in customers. In some landside outlets, we also switch the plastic cutlery to stainless steel ones. In an effort to reduce plastic waste, we also eliminate single-use plastic cups in favor of paper cups.
Getting into the recycling habit
Our teams at airport branches have run a program ‘sorting waste at source’ , separating wastes before sending them to garbage collectors. Multiple bins have been placed in the kitchen and all employees have been told to dump the waste in the right one. Waste separation at source is a key component in the concerted effort to diverse waste from landfills and to maximize the recovery of recyclables. In Vietnam, persuading people to separate their waste is still a challenge as it has not got recycling rules regarding sorting yet. However, the teams have been very proactive and hands-on on getting everyone involved in the program. This is a nice initiative raising awareness of waste sorting and environmental protection.
For more information, please contact +84 (0) 907909355 or email to Ha.vuhoang@autogrillvfs.com.vn
About Big Bowl
The ambience, service and cuisine of Big Bowl is focused on educating the customers about local food and Vietnamese eating culture in an innovative way. High-quality ingredients are used, inclusive of 100% Australian beef, while fresh vegetable and good hygiene materials win strict standards of Viet GAP, Global GAP and BRC&HACCP. Big Bowl maintains the traditional cooking methods of slow boiling bones over a 24 hour period before building the stock with an extensive array of herbs and spices all while maintaining the efficient service found in street stalls. Food is also produced “a la minute” ensuring the guests experience only the freshest food at all times.
About Autogrill VFS F&B Co. Ltd
Autogrill VFS F&B Co. Ltd. is a joint-venture between Autogrill, the world’s largest provider of food, beverage and retail services for travelers and Vietnam Food & Beverage Services Company. Autogrill VFS F&B Co. Ltd. was founded in 2013 and offers unparalleled dining services at the major international airports throughout Vietnam. We are committed to make the travelers “Feeling Good On The Move” through providing outstanding customer service, a wide variety of quality food and beverage in stylish airport outlets that best present local favorites and our many internationally recognized brands.
About Autogrill®
Autogrill®Group is the world’s leading provider of food & beverage services for guests on the move. Established in 1977, the Italian group operate mainly in airports, motorways and railway stations but also on high streets and in selected commercial sites and cultural venues. We serve a world on the move, travellers or urban moving in the city. With around 4,000 points of sale managed in 31 different countries, we are the world leader in food & beverage service for travelers.