This summer, Fabridoce decided to rehearse a new distribution model for its own stores, franchising and other points of sale HORECA by collecting empty ice boxes.
In order to promote the collection and to ensure subsequent reuse, Gelados de Portugal repurchases the packages from its customers. Once returned to the factory, the packages are inspected to determine if they are compliant, are washed, sanitized and reintegrated into the production process. Instead of having a single purpose, the 5.5-liter packages have a “life expectancy” of more than four uses. “In the coming months we will see how we can improve the efficiency of the packaging collection, with respect to the cost and operability, so that next year we can extend the initiative to more points of sale”, explains Fabridoce.
The measure still represents little more than 50% of the packaging that currently deals with but the company believes that can be an important step to reduce the environmental impact of the brand. “When Fabridoce created the Gelados de Portugal brand in 2013 we were aware that bearing the name of Portugal in our brand would be a huge responsibility. Responsibility in the development of nationally recognized flavors, responsibility for the purchase of raw materials of Portuguese origin and responsibility to promote a production process that ensures environmental sustainability”, he says.
