One day, there was a bridge engineer and a father of three children, just like any other father. The father and his children collected milk cartons at home and brought them to the collection point on a summer afternoon in Saigon. However, when they arrived at the collection point, the milk cartons could not find a receiving point. The disappointment was evident on the children's faces, and that was the moment that awakened a strong determination in the father's heart.
In 2019, that father and his colleagues - engineers who love the environment and are also fathers who love their children - decided to establish Lagom Vietnam with the desire to bring children a green and happy living environment. And Lagom Vietnam was born with the first journey - collecting milk cartons.
8 billion plastic hangers released into the environment are equivalent to 4 Empire State buildings in the US.
When it comes to textile and fashion waste, clothes hangers are often forgotten, despite their existence being directly linked to this high-impact industry. Every year, up to 8 billion plastic clothes hangers are thrown away, equivalent to 4 Empire State Buildings in the US. Clothes hangers are often buried in landfills or burned with household waste, causing serious environmental problems like textile and plastic waste.
Plastic hangers are made from Polyester or Polycarbonate which are very toxic when released into the environment, 65% of clothes and garment products including accessories, hangers are mostly made of synthetic plastic. Therefore, recycled hangers are the way for the fashion industry to commit to the environment.
Understanding this problem, Lagom Vietnam came up with a breakthrough idea: recycling milk cartons into clothes hangers. This is not only a solution to reduce waste but also an important step in creating environmentally friendly products. From the very beginning, the Lagom team has devoted a lot of effort and passion to researching ways to recycle discarded milk cartons into valuable products.
According to Mr. Tran Van Hieu - Co-founder, Deputy Director of Lagom Vietnam, after being collected, the milk cartons will go through a strict recycling process. The advanced recycling technology used by Lagom ensures that the milk cartons are cleaned and recycled effectively. This process includes steps of sorting, cleaning, processing and manufacturing.
During the research and development process, the Lagom Vietnam team faced many challenges and difficulties in finding the right technology and production process. This is not simply a recycled product but is also designed with many features of a smart clothes hanger, meeting the needs of modern users. Not only beautiful, versatile, flexible, this is also an environmentally friendly product.
1,000 milk cartons collected in 5 years
Lagom’s journey to collecting thousands of tons of milk cartons began with its first carton collection at schools. Lagom has partnered with schools and partners to implement educational programs, teaching students and communities how to sort and clean milk cartons on a daily basis.
Over the past 5 years, Lagom Vietnam’s milk carton collection and recycling program has achieved many remarkable achievements. Starting in 2019, the program has not only helped collect and recycle nearly 1,000 tons of milk cartons but also contributed to educating and building the habit of waste classification for millions of students across Vietnam. The program has received strong support from authorities and the community, creating a positive impact on the environment and society.
Some of the outstanding products that Lagom recycles from milk cartons include clothes hangers, tables and chairs, flower pots...
According to Lagom's co-founder, recycling milk cartons is not only an act of environmental protection but also a way for Lagom Vietnam to turn waste into valuable recycled products, contributing to building a sustainable future. Through the journey from building small habits to using advanced technology, Lagom has been actively contributing to environmental protection and creating products with Vietnamese brands.
