BUYO Bioplastics, a Vietnamese startup, has researched and developed the technology of converting organic waste into a new kind of material that can replace plastics.

This bioplastic product is 100 percent organic and can decompose in a natural environment. Bioplastics are safe to the environment and human health. They contain features of normal plastics and have reasonable production cost.

BUYO Bioplastics’ CEO Do Hong Hanh said the most popular organic waste the company uses is brewer’s grains discharged during beer production, and other types of waste from seafood processing.

Hanh said that this is the new pioneering technology that has been 100 percent developed by BUYO’s experts and scientists.

The inventor has applied for two patents on bioplastics and is preparing to file two more applications.

During the process of developing the product, BUYO received support and consultancy from AB InBev, the world’s largest brewer with a brewery in Binh Duong, as well as from the HCM City Biotechnology Center and the HCM City University of Natural Resources.

What differentiates BUYO’s bioplastics from other products is the materials used. All of the materials are organic waste, with no petroleum-origin materials. Also, it doesn’t use starch so the production won’t harm the nation’s food security.

Hanh said that bioplastics are degradable in the natural environment and will disintegrate entirely within 3-12 months, while normal plastics need 500 years to fully decompose. The product doesn’t create microplastics.

BUYO’s bioplastics production consumes little energy, and organic waste is recycled during the bioplastics production, so it helps minimize carbon emissions and reduce the volume of waste.

Another plus of the product is that it has features similar to normal plastics, while its production cost is reasonable.

Bioplastics made of brewer’s grains have production costs equal to plastics made of paper and bagasse, and it is more waterproof and heat resistant.

After two months of research and development, BUYO has successfully called for $750,000 worth of capital from international venture investment funds.

The startup is running a factory in the pilot period with capacity of 10 tons of bioplastics a month in HCM City. It plans to increase production capacity to 100 tons a month in 2024.

Vietnamese consume $12 billion worth of plastic products each year, so BUYO’s products have great potential in the Vietnamese market.

Trong Dat