UEH wins “Zero Waste Cities Challenge”

On October 19^th, 2021, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) was crowned champion of the “Zero Waste Cities Challenge” international competition, hosted and organized by WasteAid, an International Waste Management NGO and other sponsors. With a grand prize of €10,000 and 6 months of professional consultation from world experts in Environment and Circular Economy, “UEH Zero Waste Campus Project” is sure to receive the guidance of a lifetime to turn this sustainable dream into reality

UEH – Zero Waste Cities Challenge Champion

Between April and July of 2021, WasteAid’s Zero Waste Cities Challenge has received about 100 entries from all over the world. As the competition progressed, 12 organizations and businesses have been selected to enter the Ho Chi Minh City semi-final and participated in an 8-week free business consultation program with the Vietnam Silicon Valley Foundation, during which the teams were given opportunities to refine their business ideas, develop stronger business plans and hone their presentation skills.

From there, 5 teams advanced to compete in the grand finale, held on October 19, and presented their innovative ideas in front of a panel of experts and judges, including Sam Wood – Deputy Consul General, British Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City; Uyen Mai – Southeast Asia Sustainability Leader, Dow Chemical; Matteo Chiampo – Managing Director, SecondMuse and Klaus Oberbauer – Program Director, SecondMuse.

Sam Wood – Deputy Consul General, British Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, remarked: “It is a pleasure to see local organizations and businesses introduce ideas to improve resource efficiency and waste reduction in Ho Chi Minh City. As world leaders prepare to gather in Glasgow for the COP26 Climate Summit, the challenges of ensuring sustainable urban living are becoming more important than ever. The WasteAid Zero Waste Cities Challenge is a crucial initiative, highlighting the potential of wasted resources, and providing the support and investment needed to scale local initiatives.”

This global competition is part of WasteAid's Circular Economy Network, sponsored by Huhtamaki, and is held in three cities: Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, Guwahati in India and Johannesburg in South Africa.

Together with the VECA Start-Up team, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) became the champion, securing the grand prize of grand prize of €10,000 and 6 months of professional consultation from world experts in Environment and Circular Economy. It is with ambitious desire that the teams accomplished their ultimate goal by 2022, which is to demonstrate a tangible impact on waste reduction and maximize resource efficiency in Ho Chi Minh City.

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The UEH team presents and answers Q&A with international experts

By 2025, UEH commits to become a zero waste university, which is an important component of the sustainable university strategy. As a result, the UEH Zero Waste Campus Project will be implemented in 4 phases, with the first phase beginning in 2021, championing the “Rethink and Be Green” slogan. The aim of this is to apply the 3R (Reduce – Reduce – Recycle) across the campuses and build a smart education platform to raise awareness and trigger behavior changes for all UEHers.

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The phases of the UEH Zero Waste Campus project from 2021 to 2025

Supported by UEH Board of Management and guided by the Institute of Smart City and Management (ISCM), the UEH Zero Waste Campus Project is led by the Department of Marketing and Communication of the university. All participating units include the Union Association, Department of Facilities, Department of Student Affairs, and Economy & Environment Partnership for Southeast Asia. The project has been implemented for 4 months with specific platform products, serving the following phases.

Dr. Trinh Tu Anh - Director of the Institute of Smart City and Management, MSc. Le Thi Hanh An - Project Director, in charge of UEH Brand Communication, the representative of UEH team, said:

“We are delighted that the UEH Zero Waste Campus Project has been selected as the Winner of WasteAid’s Zero Waste Cities Challenge international competition. The past 2 months refining the project has given us a lot of opportunities to learn from experienced experts and coaches, all of whom have made the project possible with minimal risks. For us, this achievement doesn’t just hold practical values, but it’s also a vital stepping stone to push the project closer to the community. We are hopeful that we’d be able to find the best formula and execution for a zero-waste university, and from there, share it with other universities and organizations so that all of us can contribute to a better and more sustainable future. We’d like to extend our most profound gratitude to the Organizing Committee for hosting such a meaningful competition and giving all of us contestants a platform to voice our opinions that would not only impact the present but also future generations as well.”

See the press release from WasteAid and the Organizing Committe here.

See more about the announcement of the winning project here:

News, photos: UEH Zero Waste Campus Project, Department of Marketing and Communication, Department of Research Management & International Cooperation