PepsiCo to use waste-based composite for sustainable pallets in Brazil

In Brazil, PepsiCo will use UBQ material developed by the Israeli startup of the same name, for the creation of a sustainable pallet that includes unsorted household waste – including organics – in its composition.

During the manufacturing process of UBQ material, waste is diverted and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are prevented. In this initial project alone, the material implementation saves the equivalent of more than 6,500 kg of GHG emissions – the equivalent of the annual carbon sequestration of 534 trees. More than 739 kg of mixed waste will be redirected from landfills, looped back into the material as a valuable resource. The pallets are developed by PepsiCo’s partner Ecoboxes Embalagens Plásticas, which specializes in solutions focused on sustainability and circular economy.

The UBQ material is a bio-based thermoplastic converted from 100% unsorted municipal solid waste, including mixed plastics, paper, cardboard, and organics, and is suitable to substitute conventional polymers in various durable applications.

The first phase of the PepsiCo project includes the manufacturing of 830 ecological pallets for use in two of the company’s logistics centers. In addition to UBQ, the pallets are made from recycled materials that include recycled PP resin and recycled BOPP (a plastic film used in the company’s snack packaging), which completes the circular economy cycle.