GREEN STEPS PROJECT DESCRIPTION – Social Business Creation

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ABOUT GREEN STEPS

Green Steps is a social enterprise that provides solutions to recycle package waste into new, sustainable and high-quality products at competitive prices. In the meantime, we provide customers with home décor products made from milk carton waste.

In the near future, we are about to launch more recycled products, starting with a new energy source made from pyrolysed plastic waste. By using the consumption waste as our input, Green Steps reduces the waste dumped into the environment, thus promoting more sustainable consumption choices and heading to a greener future.

OUR TARGET SOCIAL ISSUE

In Vietnam, a huge amount of package waste is treated in an unsustainable manners, causing tremendous environment degradation.

OUR PRODUCTS

1. Home décor

The home décor we offer is made from a new special material: Recycled Milk cartons. This new material is similar to wood but it is more resilient: drop-proof, and water-proof. With an elegant grey theme, they are very suitable for minimalism enthusiasts.

2. Plastic oil

Our plastic oil is recycled from plastic waste. It can be burned to generate heat in industrial processes. Under the internal test, it shows prolonged heat energy.

OUR ACTIVITIES

MUST HAVE AND NICE-TO HAVE

	MUST-HAVE ACTIVITIES	NICE-TO-HAVE ACTIVITIES
1	Distribution and PR partners	Hosting pop-up shops or attending local markets to showcase your products in person
2	Identifying potential customers and target market	Collaborating with artists or designers to create one-of-a-kind pieces
3	Creating a website or online store to showcase your products	Offering customization options for customers to tailor the product to their specific needs
4	Creating a social media presence to promote your products and engage with customers	Providing eco-friendly packaging options for shipping and delivery
5	Establishing partnerships with local businesses to increase exposure	Hosting events or workshops to educate customers on the benefits of recycling and sustainability in design
6	Ensuring quality control and providing excellent customer service
7	Offering competitive pricing and discounts to attract customers

IN HOUSE AND REQUIRING-PARTNER ACTIVITIES

In-House Activities

Activities That Require Partners

Supportive volunteers in public events and running business social platform
Collaborating with other businesses or organizations to distribute and expand our product offerings or reach new markets/ customers
Scaling up the business
Handling distribution and logistics for larger-scale orders or partnerships with retailers

OUR BACKERS

Backers	Who are they?	Why should they make the contribution?	What do we offer to them in exchange for their contributions?	How do they deliver the contribution?
LONG TERM BACKERS	Community	They place their confidence in us and have a shared commitment to protect the environment, promote human well-being, foster eco-friendly products, and pursue sustainable development.	We provide products made from eco-friendly materials : recycled milk cartons with high quality and promoting the awareness of sustainable lifestyles. Additionally, we also provide gifts (plants, organic lipsticks,…) in exchange for waste from them. We also offer “ SPONSOR” certificates to thank them for their contributions.	They make donations using MOMO, internet banking, and additionally, they help spread our stories on their social media channels. Besides, they also
LONG TERM BACKERS	Foreign Trade University (FTU)	Foreign Trade University is recognized as a frontrunner in social innovations and scientific research within Vietnam, making it an ideal supporter for Green Steps’ products as they transition from the research and development phase to the market. Additionally, the university provides funding and programs to assist startups that emerge from its educational institutions.	By engaging in competitions like SBC, we enhance the reputation of our universities and instill a spirit of social entrepreneurship among students. Additionally, we assist in public relations efforts for universities and contribute to their student recruitment campaigns.	They promote our project on their official websites and social media platforms, offering us financial support and valuable consulting services from industry experts. Moreover, they furnish us with facilities and equipment for product research and assist in conducting market analysis within their network.
STRATEGIC BACKERS & PARTNERS	Paula Choice, EcoHub, Tagom, North Garden, An Shop, VinaPot, Lafa garden, Én kết nối	We are aligned in our mission, aiming for a sustainable lifestyle that minimizes waste, which can have detrimental impacts on both the environment and human well-being.	As they are businesses approaching “green” and sustainable development, our products can fulfill their requirements of eco-friendly products. By collaborating , we can offer them product samples for trial and then discounts on Green Steps ‘s products.	They use and resell our products. They also offer us with support in communicating through their social media channels. Additionally, they donate their products (Paula Choice) and help us in organizing environment campaigns (Én kết nối)
	Volunteers System		We provide them with knowledge about proper collecting/sorting/ recycling garbage process We offer them chances to participate in collecting events, which can promote their social- interests, and certificates after the events.	They participate in our monthly collecting events enthusiastically. Also, share our stories on their social media channels.
	Green Life, Green Hub, Lá Xanh, Think Playground	By collabing, Greensteps and these organizations can support each other in branding as well as raising environmental protection awareness in community	We collaborate to offer eco-friendly products to customers and raise awareness about environmental protection. Support them in organizing environmental events and branding campaigns	Introduce us to B2B clients Collab in organizing environmental events
	Institute of environmental technology, Eco Home, UCS		Support them in branding and promote the adoption of civilized lifestyles within residential areas	They provide us with venue for organizing our events
	Hanoi Women’s Union	Promoting social well being, especially environmental protection awareness	Through our sustainable product and environmental campaigns	Provide incentives and facilitating policies
	Media VTV1, VTV2, VTV3, Tuoi Tre News, ANTV, Thanh nien, etc.		Through our sustainable product and environmental campaigns and “green” recycling process	They help us in branding by introducing us widely through their social media channels
POTENTIAL UPCOMING PARTNERS	Recsports & TreeOtek, Bao Quang ceramic	Their interests in our recycling process	The quality of our new material recycled from milk carton waste Together we can conduct R&D process to find out finest process to create product innovation	They support us in collecting, recycling process utilizing their economy of scale, their equipments, etc.

CROWDFUNDING

Exchange Trash with gifts (Once or twice a month)

Ongoing donation campaign (June 5th, 2023 – December 31st, 2023)

In this event, Donors will receive a set gift depending on the amount of donation.

Although the campaign only launched 9 days ago on our Facebook page, we received roughly 600.000 VND for the donation.

SOCIAL INNOVATION VIDEO

PROOFS

CONTACT

REFERENCES

Ngoc Hien (2019). Vietnam wastes tens of billions of milk cartons, the “big guys” start to form a packaging recycling alliance. Tuoi tre Online. https://tuoitre.vn/viet-nam-thai-chuc-ti-vo-hop-sua-cac-ong-lon-bat-tay-lap-lien-minh-tai-che-bao-bi-20190622085702317.htm
Luu Ngoc (2019). Recycle milk cartons, why not?. Tuoi tre Online. https://tuoitre.vn/tai-che-vo-hop-sua-tai-sao-khong-20190818080249934.htm
Tuyet Chinh (2019). Collecting and recycling milk cartons: To no longer waste “resources”. Newspaper of Natural Resources and Environment. https://baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/
Asia Plus Inc (2021). Vietnamese concerns on the environmental issues. Q&ME. https://qandme.net/vi/baibaocao/muc-do-quan-tam-den-moi-truong-cua-nguoi-viet-nam.html
Tran Van & Van Anh (2020). Hanoi students actively participate in collecting and sorting milk cartons. Newspaper of Natural Resources and Environment. https://baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/hoc-sinh-ha-noi-tich-cuc-tham-gia-thu-gom-phan-loai-vo-hop-sua-354213.html
Truong Ngan (2018). Solid Waste Management in Vietnam Current situation, challenges and strategies for development. https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/147214/Truong_Ngan.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Redfern, C. (2018, December 9). How billions of discarded Tetra Paks cover Vietnam’s beaches and towns. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/09/billions-discarded-tetra-pak-cover-vietnams-beaches-towns
Pham Oanh (2020, August 27). Hanoi deploys to collect milk cartons to protect the environment. Newspaper of Natural Resources and Environment. https://baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/ha-noi-trien-khai-thu-gom-vo-hop-sua-bao-ve-moi-truong-309648.html
Pham, T. M. T. (2019). Quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from different municipal solid waste treatment methods – case study in Ha Noi, Vietnam. Vietnam Journal of Science, Technology and Engineering, 61(3), 81–89. https://doi.org/10.31276/vjste.61(3).81-89
A Roadmap to Stop Single-Use Plastic Pollution in Vietnam. (2022, July 25). World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2022/07/25/a-roadmap-to-stop-single-use-plastic-pollution-in-vietnam

Let’s Greener Every Steps With Us!