Sometimes we need a little extra motivation to take what we know is a positive action. This certainly applies to sustainability efforts. We know we should bicycle instead of drive, eat at neighborhood spots instead of ordering delivery, turn off the shower while we lather our hair, and bring our own reusable bottles to coffee shops, but all too often we opt for convenience or complacency.
A Seat at the Sustainability Table
To learn more about one team attempting to combat this complacency, Saigoneer traveled to a nondiscript District 4 office. The city outside was humming with preparations for the upcoming holiday, but inside, there was a different, no less excited atmosphere. Surrounded by colorful components organized in sleek containers, we took a seat beside a table covered with bright sticker samples and spoke with Mai Trinh and Pierre Rault, the co-founders of NOPA. The company was preparing to launch an updated version of their first product, the MOVE bottle, and they spoke with the nervous joy one feels when sharing their vision with the world, hoping it will be embraced for the greater good.
Behind the scenes at NOPA.
A classic startup story, NOPA is the brainchild of passionate and experienced individuals who see unexpected challenges as necessary steps in the process. Mai and Pierre first met in 2022 while collaborating on a project for The Schoolab, an innovation studio that fosters collaborations between students and corporations where Pierre worked at the time. Tasked with tackling single-use plastics, the pair created an app for reusing drinking containers. Unfortunately, their product didn’t take off as they’d hoped, due largely to people's exhaustion with downloading more apps. But the experience proved to them that they work well together, and creating a product that seeks to address an important issue provides them both with meaning.
NOPA's founding team. From left to right: Nhan, Mai, Longly and Pierre.
Mai and Pierre remained in touch and, by 2023, decided to go all-in on creating a physical product that could entice people to avoid single-use cups or bottles. This meant that Pierre quit The Schoolab, preferring to dedicate himself fully to one project rather than assist and oversee many, a process he described as “having fingers in too many pies.” Meanwhile, Mai, whose background is in psychology and consumer insight, came to the decision after asking herself, “If I succeed, which is the table I want to be seated at? It’s sustainability.”
It's a Matter of Style
The world indeed has more than enough bottles. But the same could be said for shoes, and no one questions Nike when they release a new model of sneakers because it’s understood as a matter of fashion. This logic applies to NOPA as well.
While the NOPA MOVE’s dual-layer bottles are easy to clean, durable, and light, they do not offer any marked improvements on many of the other bottles on the market, and that’s not the goal. Rather, the bright colors and playful style are intended to connect with an owner who wants to carry it around as an extension of their personality and a functional accessory. In this way, it is similar to a tote bag. Moreover, the NOPA team, which includes Chief Product Engineer, Nhan Nguyen, and Art Director, Longiy Trieu, hopes to create a community around the bottles that bonds users and partners around common values and aesthetic preferences.
NOPA's collaboration with local artist, Psche.
Beyond the color combinations created via the interchangeable bases, tops, and lids, NOPA’s MOVE bottles stand out because of the stickers people place on them. Like laptops, cellphone cases, and bike helmets, they serve as billboards that advertise one’s interests, sense of humor, and allegiances. Longiy made the initial stickers that are sold with the bottles and reflect the core brand aesthetics, as well as thematic expansion packs such as Summer Vibe. These specially made stickers are uniquely designed to fit on the bottle’s inner and outer layers and withstand temperature changes as well as the routine wear and tear a bottle experiences.
The MOVE’s unique style is paired with a clear and attractive purpose to encourage re-use as opposed to producing more waste. People who refill their MOVE bottle at a participating partner can receive a discount or promotion. The specifics of the incentive are up to the particular coffee shop or restaurant, but examples include reduced prices or free upsizes. All participating venues can be located easily via a phone’s map app.
NOPA Move in action with participating partner locations.
Approaching the Future without Limitations
“We’ve emerged from Death Valley,” Mai joked when asked about the current plans and future of NOPA after undergoing the difficult launching process. The new version of the NOPA MOVE bottle features some design adjustments to make it more durable and contains an NFC chip that allows partners to track reward usage with their partners. The data will also be helpful when assessing broader success in pursuing sustainability as part of grant projects.
The new bottles made its debut at the most recent LÔCÔ Art Market. The young, creative Saigoneers who attended the event reflect an ideal consumer base. Attracting these individuals to join the NOPA community should also help to bring in more partners. NOPA hopes to expand on the 60 or so coffee shops, juice stands, tea houses and similar venues that offer rewards for NOPA users in Saigon. A logical next step would then be to extend this network beyond Saigon to cities such as Hanoi.
In addition to selling to individuals, the team hopes to expand its B2B sales. They’d like to entice a company to purchase bottles for their entire office located near a participating partner, for example. The NOPA team can create custom designs and stickers for interested clients, allowing them to reflect a company’s or organization’s specific branding as well. NOPA may also branch beyond personal drink bottles into containers for household goods and cleaning products.
Besides the official NOPA stickers, people often attach their designs to the bottles. To indulge a greater number of options while continuing to reflect their core identity, NOPA is thus working with local artists for sticker sets printed to work perfectly with the bottle materials. Psyche, a beloved local artist is the first to be featured. Saigoneer is getting involved too, with our first-ever sticker set and accompanying bottle launching at the end of this month. Images include ones based on our popular Natural Selection series that include our recently announced mascot, the Đông Hồ baby, and humorous typos inspired by old Vietnamese signage. Available for purchase at the LÔCÔ Art Market and via NOPA’s website, they allow people to show off their love for Saigoneer, or at least carry some cool art around with them.
NOPA's collaboration with Saigoneer.
Success for any company can be difficult to define. But Pierre admitted that he would be beyond thrilled to see a stranger using a NOPA MOVE “out in the wild.” Considering the unique designs, flexible use, and ability to receive rewards while doing one’s small part to help the environment, it’s not difficult to imagine such a scene playing out soon.
