Phu Dien Women's Union Leaders Visit Tagom and Refillables Hanoi Models under Reborn 2026

On the morning of Friday 30 October 2026, GreenU and the Phu Dien Ward Women's Union organised a study visit for 20 people: 18 delegates from the Union's Executive Committee and the chairwomen of Women's Union branches in the ward, together with 2 GreenU staff. The visit is part of the Reborn 2026 project, the "Recycled Bottles, Continuing Journey" programme supported by Coca-Cola Vietnam, and aims to strengthen community capacity in sorting, reusing and managing recyclable packaging.

The Women's Union members taking part are women local leaders supporting waste separation at source in their neighbourhoods.

The group visited two sites between 8:15 and 13:00: the Tagom collection and sorting point (Thanh Xuan Bac, Thanh Xuan) and Refillables Hanoi, a packaging-free shop (To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho).

At Tagom: sorting that is correct and easy to do

During almost an hour at Tagom, delegates learned how a standardised community-level collection point operates, heard technical guidance on telling recyclable streams apart (PET bottles, aluminium cans, paper, milk cartons) and on recognising hazardous waste. Many tried quick sorting themselves and shared their experience.

At Refillables Hanoi: consuming without packaging

At Refillables Hanoi, the group experienced the refill model for cleaning and household care products: customers bring their own containers to be refilled, which cuts single-use plastic waste to a minimum. After the visit, delegates shared lunch and held a discussion to review the trip and consider how both models could work in Phu Dien's residential areas.

Lessons from the two models

First, plastic bottles and aluminium cans that are cleaned, kept dry and sorted correctly retain their full material value for the recycling chain, in line with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Second, a collection model works only when instructions are kept simple and fit each household's daily routine. Third, points or voucher incentives, supported by a technology app and project funding, motivate members and residents to take part regularly. Fourth, sustainable waste management goes beyond treatment and recycling: the longer-term solution is to reduce packaging at the source through refill habits in the community.

Four proposed actions for residential groups

After the visit, the Executive Committee and branch chairwomen agreed on four actions to take back to each residential group. One: guide members to sort at home into three easy-to-remember groups, clean recyclable plastic (PET bottles, plastic jugs), metal cans, and paper and cardboard, so that older members can keep it up; clean, low-value packaging types may be considered too. Two: promote the idea that "all waste has value", treating recyclables as a circular resource that can raise funds for branches or support disadvantaged women and children locally. Three: pilot a packaging collection and cleaning network, in which members rinse and dry bottles and plastic containers and bring them to regular drop-offs at the residential group's community house, for direct handover to a standardised collection point or recycler. Four: spread the "Refill Corner" idea by piloting bulk purchase of large containers of biodegradable cleaning products for neighbourhoods and encouraging members to refill old bottles, saving household costs while cutting single-use plastic packaging.

The Phu Dien Women's Union thanks the Reborn 2026 project of Coca-Cola Vietnam for supporting the programme, and the Tagom collection point and Refillables Hanoi for welcoming the group, sharing their experience and enabling a hands-on visit. According to the Union, the trip helped officials and members move from seeing waste as discard to seeing it as a resource when properly sorted, a basis for scaling up environmental protection efforts in the ward.