São Paulo, June 15, 2021 - O iFood, Latin America's leading foodtech, and Suzano, a global reference in the manufacture of bioproducts developed from eucalyptus cultivation, announce partnership to reduce the use of plastic items in food deliveries. Companies will develop several incentive solutions for the use of more environmentally friendly materials, such as biodegradable packaging, making delivery more sustainable.
According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Brazil is the fourth largest producer of plastic waste in the world: more than 10 million tons per year. Just over 1% is recycled. To transform this scenario, at the beginning of 2021, iFood announced iFood Regenera, the platform's environmental goals program, which works on two fronts: (I) eliminate plastic pollution in delivery operations by 2025 and (II) neutralize emissions carbon by 2025.
“Having a business that brings prosperity and also regenerates the environment is our priority and that of Suzano. To achieve this, we need to create a more sustainable production and consumption chain. We are joining forces and adding expertise to promote transformation and bring disruption to reduce the volume of plastic in the country”, he states. Gustavo Vitti, vice president of People and Sustainable Solutions at iFood. “We have an audacious goal of eliminating plastic pollution from our deliveries and this partnership with Suzano is one of the ways we can expand the positive impact we seek.”
The initiative also reinforces one of Suzano's commitments, one of the largest paper manufacturers in Latin America, to offer, by 2030, 10 million tons of products of renewable origin, developed from eucalyptus biomass, to replace plastics and other derivatives of oil. “In this partnership, we will combine the knowledge of the iFood delivery ecosystem with Suzano’s innovability, which is innovation at the service of sustainability, in the development of biodegradable solutions”, says Guilherme Melhado, Commercial Director of Suzano’s Paper and Packaging Unit . “With this, we hope to renew the delivery market towards a better and sustainable future, based on more functional and environmentally friendly packaging.”
The foodtech already offers sustainable packaging to establishments through iFood Shop, a marketplace that guarantees items, inputs and products aimed at partners. Since 2019, iFood Shop has had a “Sustainable Packaging” section, created to offer and encourage partners to use plastic-free packaging and delivery utensils, joining the company in the environmental cause. In the last six months alone, the entry of suppliers working on this front has tripled.
Challenge
Among the projects planned for 2021 is the creation of the Packaging of the Future challenge, which aims to develop sustainable packaging for the meal delivery sector. The challenge started on 06/14/2021 and interested parties can register on the website https://embalagemdofuturo.com.br/ until 07/11/2021 (CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORIZATION SECAP/ME N. ° 03.013293/2021).
iFood and Suzano are betting that innovation can be found anywhere and everywhere, which is why the competition, which is open to the public, will focus on designers, university students and enthusiasts of the topic. The objective of the challenge is to find paper packaging solutions with technology and functional design to guarantee restaurants the quality of their meals at the time of delivery.
The winner will be chosen by a judging panel specialized in the topic and the results will be announced in August. The idea will be awarded and the packaging developed may be included in Suzano's portfolio, being offered to the entire market through the iFood Shop.
The partnership, which begins with the launch of the challenge, also includes cooperation between companies to find new solutions to reduce the use of plastic in delivery, expand and strengthen the sustainable packaging chain, connecting the industry to restaurants through technology and marketplaces, such as iFood Shop.
About iFood
iFood, a reference in online food delivery in Latin America, has 60 million monthly orders. Having been on the market for ten years, the Brazilian company is also present in Colombia. It works together with partners with initiatives that bring together business intelligence and management solutions for the approximately 270 thousand restaurants registered in more than a thousand cities throughout Brazil. iFood has important investors, such as Movile, a global leader in mobile marketplaces, and Just Eat, one of the largest online ordering companies in the world.
About Suzano
Suzano is a global reference in the development of sustainable and innovative solutions, from renewable sources, and its purpose is to renew life from trees. The largest manufacturer of eucalyptus pulp in the world and one of the largest paper producers in Latin America, it serves more than 2 billion people from 11 factories operating in Brazil, in addition to the Veracel joint operation. With 97 years of history and an installed capacity of 10.9 million tons of market cellulose and 1.4 million tons of paper per year, it exports to more than 100 countries. Its operations are based on Innovability – Innovation at the service of Sustainability – and the highest levels of socio-environmental practices and Corporate Governance, with shares traded on the stock exchanges in Brazil and the United States.
For more information access: www.suzano.com.br
