Hanoi, 26 September 2025: Plastic pollution is a multi-stakeholder issue demanding collaboration amongst policymakers, researchers and academia, civil society, and the private sector. Recognising the importance of engaging businesses, the ERIA–IGES Experts Working Group (EWG) on Marine Plastic Debris visited AEON MALL Long Bien, Hanoi, to explore its sustainability practices and engage in dialogue on advancing a circular economy. This visit formed part of the EWG’s eighth meeting, held in Hanoi on 25–26 September 2025.
The EWG members was welcomed by Mr Satoshi Nishikawa, Northern Regional Director of AEON Vietnam, along with key staff members from AEON Vietnam, AEON Japan, and AEON Group. Mr Nishikawa led the experts on a supermarket tour, showing AEON’s commitment to providing best-quality products for the customers while promoting sustainability and circular economy practices. For example, the supermarket has phased out plastic in its food packaging, replacing it with paper-based containers and utensils. It also operates a dedicated cashier line where no plastic bags are provided, encouraging customers to bring their own shopping bags or use provided cardboard packaging instead.
The tour continued to the supermarket’s recycling and waste collection centre. Here, packaging materials such as cardboard boxes are collected to be returned to suppliers, while waste is carefully sorted into seven categories to support recycling and ensure proper resource recovery.
After the tour, Mr Nishikawa and his team invited the experts to a meeting room for a series of presentations. Mr Takayuki Isogai, representing AEON Japan and AEON Group, outlined the companies’ plastic usage policy, particularly on reducing plastic use, minimising materials, and advancing circular economy initiatives such as the ‘bottle to bottle’ recycling project. He also shared updates on recyclable collection within AEON’s operations.
From the host side, AEON Vietnam highlighted its comprehensive approach to tackling plastic pollution. Its CSR initiatives include customer programmes (such as eco-bag rental, ‘no plastic bag’ days, and recycle stations), employee engagement (eco-bag distribution and support), operational measures to eliminate single-use plastics, and close collaboration with government and community education efforts. The team also showcased activities promoting these efforts, including eco fairs and awareness campaigns, and outlined improvements in waste management systems. By 2023, AEON Vietnam had recorded notable progress, achieving 8.8 million eco-transactions – purchases in which plastic bags were not used.
The presentation sparked fruitful discussions and exchanges between the experts and the AEON team. While commending AEON’s ongoing initiatives, the experts also shared recommendations on how AEON MALL could further enhance its contribution to promote sustainability, circular economy, and plastic reduction. This exchange highlighted the importance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing between the private sector and regional experts in advancing solutions to marine plastic debris.
Knowledge Management Assistant
Hanoi, 26 September 2025: Plastic pollution is a multi-stakeholder issue demanding collaboration amongst policymakers, researchers and academia, civil society, and the private sector. Recognising the importance of engaging businesses, the ERIA–IGES Experts Working Group (EWG) on Marine Plastic Debris visited AEON MALL Long Bien, Hanoi, to explore its sustainability practices and engage in dialogue on advancing a circular economy. This visit formed part of the EWG’s eighth meeting, held in Hanoi on 25–26 September 2025.
The EWG members was welcomed by Mr Satoshi Nishikawa, Northern Regional Director of AEON Vietnam, along with key staff members from AEON Vietnam, AEON Japan, and AEON Group. Mr Nishikawa led the experts on a supermarket tour, showing AEON’s commitment to providing best-quality products for the customers while promoting sustainability and circular economy practices. For example, the supermarket has phased out plastic in its food packaging, replacing it with paper-based containers and utensils. It also operates a dedicated cashier line where no plastic bags are provided, encouraging customers to bring their own shopping bags or use provided cardboard packaging instead.
The tour continued to the supermarket’s recycling and waste collection centre. Here, packaging materials such as cardboard boxes are collected to be returned to suppliers, while waste is carefully sorted into seven categories to support recycling and ensure proper resource recovery.
After the tour, Mr Nishikawa and his team invited the experts to a meeting room for a series of presentations. Mr Takayuki Isogai, representing AEON Japan and AEON Group, outlined the companies’ plastic usage policy, particularly on reducing plastic use, minimising materials, and advancing circular economy initiatives such as the ‘bottle to bottle’ recycling project. He also shared updates on recyclable collection within AEON’s operations.
From the host side, AEON Vietnam highlighted its comprehensive approach to tackling plastic pollution. Its CSR initiatives include customer programmes (such as eco-bag rental, ‘no plastic bag’ days, and recycle stations), employee engagement (eco-bag distribution and support), operational measures to eliminate single-use plastics, and close collaboration with government and community education efforts. The team also showcased activities promoting these efforts, including eco fairs and awareness campaigns, and outlined improvements in waste management systems. By 2023, AEON Vietnam had recorded notable progress, achieving 8.8 million eco-transactions – purchases in which plastic bags were not used.
The presentation sparked fruitful discussions and exchanges between the experts and the AEON team. While commending AEON’s ongoing initiatives, the experts also shared recommendations on how AEON MALL could further enhance its contribution to promote sustainability, circular economy, and plastic reduction. This exchange highlighted the importance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing between the private sector and regional experts in advancing solutions to marine plastic debris.
Knowledge Management Assistant
