Making haste to zero waste

Why are we doing it?

At Araucária, everyone constantly thinks about how we can contribute to a better future. By reducing and reusing the waste we create, we can make a huge impact on our daily lives.”

Flávio Ribeiro – ESH Manager

What are we doing?

Our Araucária facility in Brazil produces functional blends that deliver all kinds of benefits in dairy, bakery, and meat applications – especially by extending shelf life and preventing food waste. So, what a ‘delicious’ coincidence that in 2022, all our 142 colleagues in Araucária accepted the huge challenge of becoming the first Corbion site to achieve Zero Waste Certification. “The goal was to find better ways of recycling and reusing our industrial waste instead of sending it to landfill. However, this was easier said than done – because it’s around 400 tonnes annually,” explains Flávio. “Raw materials, sanitary waste, wooden pallets, food waste, grease and oil…each of these waste streams requires its own license and needs to be tackled separately.”

Furthermore, the team couldn’t do this alone. For example, due to local regulations, Corbion isn’t allowed to compost waste on its own site and therefore had to find reliable partners to help handle our waste streams. 

How are we doing?

In 2020, Corbion Araucária sent 87% of its waste to landfill. Today, it reuses or recycles more than 90% of its waste, and this is managed by Corbion continuously and audited annually. Not only is Araucária the first Corbion site to achieve the Zero Waste Certification, it’s also the first food company in the entire Paraná state of Brazil to do so. “Next, we want to reduce landfill waste even more to ultimately completely eliminate our waste disposal in landfills,” says Flávio. Ultimately, this great achievement is proof that Araucária is not only fully aligned with the Zero Waste International Alliance Guidelines, but also with the wider commitment that Corbion has made to contribute to the UN sustainability goals.