ESG: Minalba water has a lid with Braille inscriptions

At least 6.5 million people in Brazil will not be able to read this text or will have immense difficulty reaching the end of this story. They are part of the contingent of those who face the harsh reality for those who have visual impairment or low visionaccording to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). And the difficulty lies in everyday issues, such as crossing a street, accessing a restaurant menu or even being able to buy mineral water. A Minalba Brazil, company that belongs to the Ceará group Edson Queirozsaw this pain and created a new model to ensure more autonomy to these people.

Since January, 100% of the company's canned mineral water portfolio, which includes brands Minalba It is Indaiá, The lid now has the inscriptions 'water' and 'carbonated' in Braille. “Our idea is to impact the sector with this new model and help other companies also adopt this inclusive solution”he told DINE Aélio Silveira, CEO of Minalba Brasil.

The initiative counted on the consultancy of Dorina Dowil Foundation for the Blinda reference entity in actions for this public, and with the support of Ball Corporation, responsible for the production of aluminum cans. “For those who can see, it may be a small impact, but it is huge for people with visual impairments who experience these issues every day. It's exciting”he said.

In October, the Minalba brand had already implemented the inclusive format in cans. And now, the process has concluded with the entry of Indaiá.

The next step, according to the CEO, is to bring Braille to the lid of the company's energy drink brand in the first half of the year, in addition to creating a 473ml can for the product. A video shows a visually impaired athlete tactilely reading the raised points on the lid during the Minalba Challenge Race, held in December, in São Paulo.

CONSOLIDATION

Silveira remembers that the episode in which the journalist William Bonner, from Rede Globoopened a can live during the broadcast of election coverage in 2022, represented a watershed — literally — for the company. “It was a fantastic impact. The can had been launched in 2020, as this new consumption experience. And, in that period, we grew almost 300% and helped us explain to the population our idea about this ESG journey”he stated. “It’s an important market with this concept of sustainability.”

In aluminum recycling, Brazil is a reference. According to entity data Recycle Cans, the country recycled 3.3 million tons of aluminum cans in 10 years, always with a percentage above 96% of the total available on the market. In 2023, it reached 100%.

The company's numbers show the growth of this more sustainable packaging segment.

• The executive stated that the market grew, between 2020 and 2023, 120%.
• Market leader, Minalba currently has a 24.7% share and 25.4% in value.
• Last year, the company closed the year with a monthly average of 1.2 million cans produced, with an annual volume of R$14.4 million.
• The expectation for 2024 is a 50% growth in production, with Indaiá's entry into this new product model.
• The vast majority of Minalba's portfolio is still produced in PET format, which represents close to 90%, but the work is precisely to reduce this difference.

“We have sought to encourage new consumers with this experience. Let’s remember that until 2020 there was no canned water and we changed this market.”

During the social day, Minalba also implemented Braille writing on the can developed in partnership with Gerando Falcões, whose sales proceeds go towards the association. “The idea was to give voice, through art on the packaging, made with artists recommended by the organization, with an exclusive can”, said the CEO. The launch was made in August.

The company is currently working on the process of expanding the distribution of the social model. The current production of Gerando Falcões cans is 240 thousand units per month.

Silveira states that the Minalba Brasil, which today has 14 brands, nine of which are wateris the second largest company in the Edson Queiroz group (the first is Nacional Gás), which operates in several segments and in 2022 had revenues of R$13.5 billion (2023 figures have not yet been released).

“For Minalba, it has been an important moment. Frequent heat waves greatly impact our business. And our challenge is to prepare for the increase in demand.” The company's eyes are very attentive to this.