Supply chain leaders in the food industry, such as Nestle and Unilever, are taking the lead, putting pressure through controlling suppliers to ensure plastic reduction and sustainable practices. While the literature has demonstrated the importance of plastic reduction practices in attaining a competitive advantage, relatively little has been done to examine the influences and relationships between these environmental pressures and plastic reduction practices. This study explores a plastic reduction taxonomy through explorative cluster analysis among Vietnamese food processing firms. It aligns with plastic reduction practices and identifies strategies to respond to the green pressures. The findings indicated that firms differ based on two significant capabilities: 3Rs design and Plastic reduction infrastructure. The findings support several taxonomic clusters differentiated by Rats, Rabbits, and Rhinos. Firms in the Rhinos cluster quickly deploy new processes learned from supply chain partners and can experience higher payoffs in investment recovery and sustainable measures. Rabbits represent stuck in the middle positions with low investment in 3Rs Design. Rats include more than 50% of local firms and have minimum investments in both capabilities and, at the same time, face more substantial green pressures. The empirical findings provide a practical information mapping system in packaging management systems to effectively connect processors, farmers, traders, and government agencies for sustainable packaging practices in Vietnam.