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Sustainability Now Integral to Business, Not Separate Department
🇦🇷 Argentina /Environment & Climate

Sustainability Now Integral to Business, Not Separate Department

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Sustainability is no longer an isolated department but is integrated across business operations, according to corporate leaders.
  • Companies like CCU Argentina and Arcos Dorados are implementing initiatives to reduce environmental impact and enhance social responsibility.
  • Key efforts include efficient resource consumption, waste reduction, plastic-free packaging, and supporting local economies and communities.

Sustainability has evolved from a peripheral concern to an integral component of core business strategy, according to leaders from CCU Argentina and Arcos Dorados. The shift emphasizes that environmental and social responsibility must be woven into the fabric of daily operations and business models.

It has to have experts in the field, with initiatives that generate value for the company.

— Hernán VillalobosHernán Villalobos, Corporate Manager of Climate Change and Renewable Energies at Arcos Dorados, explaining the need for dedicated expertise in corporate sustainability.

Juan Pablo Barrale, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Manager at CCU Argentina, stated that sustainability is "transversal to the entire business." He highlighted initiatives focused on making water and electricity consumption more efficient, demonstrating that these efforts benefit not only the planet but also the business and local communities. CCU Argentina also promotes the use of returnable packaging, with its beer bottles being reused up to 29 times, and ensures that nearly all waste generated is reintegrated into production circuits.

It is transversal to the entire business.

— Juan Pablo BarraleJuan Pablo Barrale, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Manager at CCU Argentina, describing how sustainability is integrated into all aspects of the company's operations.

Hernán Villalobos, Corporate Manager of Climate Change and Renewable Energies at Arcos Dorados, echoed this sentiment, noting that sustainability is no longer "a separate area." He explained that Arcos Dorados embeds environmental pillars into its operations, such as recycling employee uniforms, achieving 88% plastic-free packaging, and sourcing 95% of restaurant supplies from local providers. Socially, Arcos Dorados is a major formal employer of young people in Latin America, with 80% of its workforce under 24.

The objective is that the environmental pillars are embedded in the operation, such as recycling employee uniforms.

— Hernán VillalobosHernán Villalobos of Arcos Dorados detailing how environmental initiatives are integrated into daily business practices.

Both companies are actively working to extend sustainability beyond their immediate operations. CCU Argentina supports over 40 recovery cooperatives in more than 40 cities, having collected over 300,000 tons of recyclables since 2010. Arcos Dorados in Argentina has reached 50% renewable energy usage, equivalent to 77 restaurants, through agreements with energy companies. The overarching challenge, as noted, is to maintain this sustainability focus "outside the doors" of the company, fostering circular economy chains through collaboration with external organizations and municipalities.

50% of the beer is sold in returnable packaging, and a one-liter glass bottle can be reused up to 29 times.

— Juan Pablo BarraleJuan Pablo Barrale of CCU Argentina highlighting the company's commitment to reusable packaging.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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