After the success of the ShoeX coffee shoes, Veritas Company continued to launch AirX coffee masks and then household products such as bottles, cups, forks, toothbrushes, etc. Materials used to produce bioplastics. Why did you choose coffee?

First of all, I should mention that I studied chemistry at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, then lived in Canada for some time and toured countries that have developed very much in biomaterials life. When I was thinking about starting a shoe manufacturing business in Vietnam, I wanted to find a new material for the soles to reduce the carbon that is harmful to the environment.

When developing these bioplastics, I and my colleagues also tried to use rice, bagasse, pulp, rice husk, bamboo… But in the end, when it came to choosing a material to start with, we settled on coffee. Because coffee carries the “DNA” of Vietnam. When it comes to coffee, everyone knows the coffee culture in Vietnam as well as famous coffee growing areas. Veritas wants to bring this unique feature of Vietnam to the world.

Does this mean that Vietnam is the ideal place for Veritas to produce coffee bioplastics?

Vietnam ranks second in the world in terms of coffee exports, this advantage makes the synthesis of coffee biocomposites cheaper than other countries and creates a great competitive advantage in terms of exporting products. The amount of coffee grounds entering the environment in Vietnam is also very large. If left untreated, the decomposed coffee grounds release metal, a gas that makes the earth 86 times warmer than CO2. However, the coffee grounds source for bioplastics production must meet entry standards in terms of both stability and composition. Veritas had to experiment many times to find the source of the ingredients that met the requirements.

Coffee shoes and then coffee masks brought fame to you and your company, so why not keep a monopoly on the materials?

It is true that coffee shoes and masks are preferred by European countries because of their origin and environmental friendliness. However, the pandemic has made us realize that we need to find a longer and more appropriate strategy. I no longer want to hold on, but specialize in areas where I have a long-term advantage, reshape the production and operations of the company.

Rather than monopolizing certain products, we strive to become a raw material supplier to any company that needs or produces to order. Thanks to this, we can put maximum efforts into researching coffee ingredients to provide products for cross-industry companies. The coffee bioplastic then becomes the raw material for countless products.

Creating a “second life for coffee”, what does that mean for you?

Actually, we only come from the actual need: Many production units in Vietnam are gradually losing orders to Europe, America, Japan due to the plastic ban… so that this coffee bioplastic will become viable alternatives. With sufficient production, the price of coffee bioplastics will even be competitive with that of virgin plastic. Recyclable coffee bioplastics that are lightweight, smell like coffee, and look like dark wood can help Vietnam’s plastics industry become more competitive in the global market, while helping Vietnam Nam reduce its dependency on fossil fuels… All these things give me great inspiration.

Which partner impressed you the most on the world market?

At this stage, where the formula is still being refined and the business launched, I see that the Japanese partners are taking Veritas products and biomaterials in general very seriously. For example, this coffee grounds hanger is made by a specialist for Uniqlo. Not long ago, Uniqlo launched a program to give away “Live Green” coffee mugs made from recycled coffee grounds to customers who want to reduce plastic use and their negative impact on the environment. Veritas is also the entity that manufactures these “Green Living” mugs.

Do you fear competition from domestic competitors as new names enter the coffee grounds materials market?

In the US, McCafe partnered with Ford in 2019 to make some plastic parts in cars from coffee grounds. Globally, we only belong to the first group. Similar business-oriented global markets and competitors have made me confident that this area has potential. So I’m not worried about competition from domestic competitors. First, the company has registered intellectual property, second, the target market is the world, which is extremely large. If more companies are also researching and applying this material, that’s a good thing because it helps solve environmental problems and utilize Vietnam’s abundant raw materials.

We have just investigated whether, in addition to coffee grounds, which biological materials are also advantageous for the next development.

When it comes to startups in the biomaterials industry, what do you think is the biggest challenge?

Looking at the global level, I don’t think that the Vietnamese market or Vietnamese companies are big enough at the moment or will be rivals of companies in the world. Therefore, the world market size is currently the biggest challenge for a biomaterials company in Vietnam. That is, after finding a great source of biomaterials, what is the output for these biomaterials, are there any companies that accept this material and use it on a large scale? Making a product is just the beginning, if there is no market that will accept the product it is also considered a failure.

His business is also said to have reached the “still breathing” step during the pandemic. What has been your experience of getting through?

In fact, many companies almost “hibernated” during the pandemic, so it was enough for us to simply “wake up” our companies. To adapt and survive, we make masks out of coffee grounds and mini oxygen bottles. Part of our current customers are those who bought our masks during the pandemic. Through this business I know your design requirements and that every product must have a story; or recycling and the beginning of a new life cycle for a new product has emerged, no more label to “polish” the business. Consumers today are willing to spend more money for cleaner, more environmentally friendly products.

Is your everyday life “green” in real life?

For me, the future of green products is something to look forward to around the world. In Vietnam, we also form a generation of green living. The fact that I and the people around me hold their own cup every day to buy coffee, go to the market with cloth bags or use less plastic straws also makes me very happy. Therefore, I and my colleagues will constantly research useful solutions to contribute to this green living trend. My business motto seems so “green”: As long as you do your job well, the good news will spread widely…

VnEconomy January 28, 2023 12:00

The content of the article was published in the special issue Xuan Quy Mao of Vietnam Economic Magazine, published on January 23, 2023. Welcome readers to read This:

https://postenp.phaha.vn/chi-tiet-toa-soan/tap-chi-king-te-viet-nam