BUYO – ASSIST

Investing in Impact

P4G has awarded the partnership about US $330,700 in grant funding.

Vietnam faces significant food waste and environmental pollution due to improper waste management. In 2018, plastic use in Vietnam reached 54 kg per person, with 72% of waste being single-use plastics.

BUYO addresses this challenge by transforming food waste into valuable, biodegradable materials, filling a gap in the market for more sustainable bioplastics.  For every ton of product, 0.5 tons of biowaste is upcycled, leading to a 70% reduction in carbon emissions compared to conventional plastics. BUYO’s bioplastics are fully biodegradable within a year, unlike many alternatives that require industrial composting or pose risks to food security. The startup utilizes innovative technologies like renewable energy and IoT for energy optimization, ensuring sustainability in its production process.

BUYO upcycles discarded bio-waste, such as brewery spent grains, into biodegradable, 100% nature-based bioplastics using proprietary technology. This process conserves resources, prevents food loss, and has a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional plastics. With a factory in Ho Chi Minh City and plans to scale production, BUYO aims to address Vietnam's rising plastic consumption and food waste challenges.

During the P4G funding period, BUYO will enhance its proprietary technology to convert bio-waste into bioplastics with improved quality and performance. The partnership will support product development to meet the needs of high-demand industries like food packaging, medical applications and industrial use.

Additionally, the partnership will promote BUYO’s products through mass awareness campaigns, industry collaborations, and participation in sustainability-focused initiatives. The partnership will help BUYO strengthen its presence in key markets, including North America, Europe and Asia. This includes securing new buyers, testing certification and forming strategic partnerships with major brands and distributors.

To date, BUYO has achieved significant progress across product development, production scale-up, market expansion, strategic partnerships and sustainability impact. The startup advanced its core mission of commercializing biodegradable, bio-based materials through major technical upgrades and new product innovation. BUYO developed multiple new products for strategic partnerships, including collaborations with MAROU Chocolate on compostable lids and with STUART TREVOR on bio-based garment bags, while expanding its portfolio with straws, trays, lunch boxes, shampoo bottles, colored tableware and customized packaging solutions.

BUYO also made outstanding achievements in market acceleration and brand visibility, gaining national and international recognition. The company reached the Top 12 of the 2025 SDG Sprint in Seoul, advanced in the Tokyo GX Program, and was selected for the Vietnam Pavilion at Bits & Pretzels 2025 in Munich. It won the Best Sustainable Packaging Award at the 2025 World Beverage Innovation Awards. Participation in events like the Osaka Expo, Rethinking Materials London, SusHi Tech Tokyo, Next Rise Seoul and the Sustainable Packaging Summit broadened BUYO’s outreach to investors and industry leaders. BUYO also achieved major certifications, including ISO 9001:2015, USDA BioPreferred and Eurofins non-microplastics verification, positioning the company strongly for international commercialization.

Through the UNDP SEA-MaP Program, BUYO began piloting bioplastics made from brewery spent grains, advancing its circular economy research. Additionally, BUYO formalized its new corporate identity as BUYO Solutions Company Limited, reflecting its evolution into a full-service bio-based solutions provider.

On the sustainability and policy front, BUYO published its first Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) Report, began exploring carbon credit pathways, and applied for the Vietnam Eco-Label Certificate and BPI Compostable Certification. BUYO represented Vietnam in ASEAN–Korea research on ESG best practices and contributed expert insights to multiple policy dialogues, including roundtables with the Ministry of Agriculture & Environment and consultations on national eco-labeling regulations. Finally, participation in high-level forums, such as the 2025 P4G Vietnam Summit, circular economy seminars and retail-sector sustainability discussions, BUYO is positioning itself as a prominent voice in Vietnam’s green transition.

Overall, BUYO’s accomplishments demonstrate accelerated technical capability, rising commercial traction, strengthened international credibility, and deepening influence in Vietnam’s circular economy ecosystem. The period marked substantial momentum toward mass commercialization of its biodegradable materials and the scaling of climate-positive impacts across industry sectors.

BUYO aims to increase its manufacturing capacity from 10 tons per month to 100 tons per month by the end of 2025. By the end of the funding period, the BUYO – ASSIST partnership aims to validate the commercial viability of bioplastics and raise US $1.5 million in commercial investment.

The partnership comprises the following partners: BUYO (lead business partner); ASSIST (lead administrative partner).