• AmCham recognized with 3 honorable mentions FIFCO’s projects nominated in the Public-Private Partnerships for Development (PPPD) and Environment categories.

Two of the programs developed by FIFCO as part of its Sustainability strategy received 3 honorable mentions in the Social Responsibility in Action 2023 Awards, from the Costa Rican American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), in the Public-Private Partnerships for Development (PPPD) and Environment categories.

The award-winning initiatives promote healthy lifestyles among the school population and encourage the transition of the company’s production to a circular model.

The honorable mentions for both programs were announced on Wednesday, November 15. At this annual ceremony, AmCham recognizes the most distinguished companies for their responsible business management in the economic, social and environmental spheres.

In the PPPD category, FIFCO received two mentions with the Student Community Service (SCE): Healthy Lifestyles initiative, carried out together with the Ministry of Public Education (MEP) and aimed at students about to graduate from high school. This project received a special mention in the innovation in sustainability category.

In the environmental category, AmCham received another mention for the FIFCO Circular project, which consists of the transition from a linear production model to one in which the resources, materials and products of the beverage business are kept in motion within the value chain for as long as possible.

María Pía Robles, FIFCO’s Corporate Relations Director, stated that the awarding of the two programs ratifies the innovation and leadership the company maintains in the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) dimensions, as well as the commitment reflected in the expansive sustainability vision presented in July of this year.

“We are guided by the principle of Expansive Sustainability, with which we seek innovative solutions to the social and environmental challenges of our times. We seek to go beyond damage prevention to generate positive and lasting changes in our environment. For FIFCO, the ESG dimensions mark the path within our business strategy, an impulse that is materialized in the work to achieve our 9 sustainability goals”, stated Robles.

In 2022, FIFCO strengthened its commitment in this area by defining the environmental, social and governance goals as pillars for comprehensive business management. These criteria were integrated as part of its sustainability strategy FIFCO Trasciende (FIFCO Transcends).

In detail

Community Student Service (SCE): Healthy Lifestyles: Through this partnership, an interactive virtual platform was created that allows schoolchildren to learn and develop projects related to physical activity, healthy eating, mental health and the prevention of Covid-19 and underage drinking and alcohol consumption.

In the e-learning tool, students navigate through a series of modules and choose a theme to develop one of the activities proposed as a final project, which may consist of developing posters, physical activity or emotion management routines, identifying factors for alcohol and drug prevention, among others. Upon completion of the process, students fulfill the Community Student Service requirement to obtain their High School Baccalaureate degree.

This tool has benefited nearly 8,400 students nationwide since 2020, when it was implemented in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

FIFCO Circular: In 2021, the company implemented the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI), developed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Granta Design. This evaluation allows measuring the circularity of material and product flows, considering the origin of the elements, their durability, destination and the efficiency of their transformation.

This approach reduces pressure on ecosystems and makes it possible to offer the public products with a lower environmental impact. It also generates economic opportunities by making resource management more efficient.

Since the beginning of the project, in 2021, FIFCO has managed to increase the percentage of recycled resin in packaging and plastic labels, maintain Zero Waste to Landfill certification and increase the circularity index with respect to the base year.

As part of the efforts, more than 5.5 million kilograms of materials have been recycled, the use of more than 1,000 tons of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in packaging has been avoided, and more than 7,700 kilograms of waste have been collected in volunteer actions.