In 2021, at iFood, we faced the challenge of reducing the environmental impact of deliveries, particularly the use of single-use plastics. Our ambitious goal was to halve the volume of disposables by 2025. Leading this initiative was an opportunity to combine purpose and design, starting by listening to restaurants and customers.

Our research revealed that 75% of restaurants sent disposables automatically, often unnecessarily. We also learned that many restaurants valued recognition within the app. This insight led to the creation of the "Friend of Nature" badge, rewarding restaurants that eliminated disposables or only provided them upon request. The initiative connected sustainability with clear benefits like cost savings and increased visibility.

The badge had a transformative effect. It aligned environmentally conscious consumers with responsible restaurants while showing that sustainability could be both practical and profitable. Seeing the first restaurants adopt the badge reinforced that we were on the right path.

Today, 90% of partner restaurants have joined the initiative, resulting in over 360 million orders without disposables and saving 130 tons of plastic monthly. This journey wasn’t just about building an app feature, it was about proving that purposeful design can drive meaningful change, one small action at a time.