Cazoolo, Braskem's circular packaging design lab, announces a strategic partnership with iFood, a Brazilian technology company and leader in online delivery, for the development of returnable packaging. The initiative aimed to reduce waste disposal in delivery and encourage conscious consumption, without neglecting the consumer's experience. The project aimed to validate the packaging with a group of restaurants and consumers, in order to reach the pilot planning phase in the future.
Fabio Sant’Ana, responsible for Market Development and New Business at Cazoolo, emphasizes that the project has great potential to positively impact the delivery market. And this is because everything was developed with a user-centered design approach, aiming to deliver excellence in restaurant operation, food consumption, and packaging return. "The development of reusable packaging represents a significant step towards sustainability in practice. We are constantly seeking to promote the circular design of packaging, improve waste management, and minimize impact at all stages of the supply chain," he states.
The project required that the packaging be easily recyclable in the post-consumer chain, not leak during transportation, and be easy to clean to enable new usage cycles and high efficiency (both in restaurant operation and in the logistics of shipping and return for reuse). "We researched all the requirements of a returnable packaging and the biggest pain points of delivery to create an ideal model. Then, we ran the Circular Design Sprint – Cazoolo's program focused on accelerating circular projects to create, prototype, and refine the project until we had the ideal solution, always within a short timeframe. With the project completed, it was time to gather the perceptions of restaurants and consumers, and we received very positive feedback," comments Sant’Ana.
Testing with restaurants and consumers
The representatives of Cazoolo and iFood conducted a survey with restaurant owners and consumers to develop the design of the returnable packaging. Information about the delivery operation and the ideal characteristics for packaging, from its use to post-use and visual aspects, were evaluated by the team for the development of the solution. "This was a fundamental process in our journey. We managed to identify the most sensitive points and understand how far the consumer would be willing to alter their standard journey, from disposable packaging to returnable packaging, in favor of a delivery with less waste," adds Sant'Ana.
The results achieved fully met iFood's expectations. "Concern about the packaging delivered to consumers has always been present in our business. To achieve our sustainability goals, we seek innovative partners and working side by side with Cazoolo represented a step forward towards more sustainable solutions," says Fabiane Staschower, senior sustainability coordinator at iFood.
