Softys Uruguay: platinum leadership in Zero Waste

Softys Uruguay: platinum leadership in Zero Waste

At Global Zero Waste we understand that recognitions gain real value when they are backed by measurable results, strategic consistency and continuous improvement sustained over time. That is why, at the most recent Zero Waste Recognition gala, held on 9 December 2025, we celebrated with particular pride Softys Uruguay, distinguished as a Platinum Affiliate of the Zero Waste Management System Programme.

This milestone consolidates a process that formally began in 2022, when its plant in Pando obtained Gold category certification of the Zero Waste Management System, awarded by Icontec and Global Zero Waste. After holding that certification for three consecutive years and demonstrating consistent results, the operation today reaches the highest level within our affiliate programme.

Consistency between strategy and operation

Under the corporate promise "We care for the future today", the Softys Group has defined its 2024–2028 Sustainability Strategy around four pillars: being responsible from start to finish, caring for consumers, supporting communities and being better together.

On the environmental side, the company commits to "doing more with less", taking responsibility for its impact along the entire value chain. Its targets include:

• Sending zero industrial waste to landfill.
• Cutting water use by 60% by 2028.
• Cutting GHG emissions (scopes 1 and 2) by 50% by 2030.
• Certifying 100% of its operations under the Zero Waste Management System by 2028.
• Moving towards 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging by 2030.

Management with concrete results

The operation currently recovers approximately 89% of the waste generated in its production processes as of the end of 2025, returning materials to production cycles through recycling or composting.

The waste streams managed include:

• Paper and cardboard
• Wooden pallets
• Recovered fibre
• Wire and scrap metal
• Polyethylenes
• PET bottles

Fibre recovery stands out in particular, as it reduces the use of virgin raw materials and optimises resource use, strengthening the logic of the circular economy in the paper industry.

These results are the fruit of rigorous technical management, with traceability, segregation at source, strategic partnerships and a consolidated continuous improvement system.

Circular economy with a territorial focus

One distinguishing element is territorial coordination. The partnership with the Intendencia de Canelones has made it possible to drive joint initiatives for the management and recovery of organic waste, showing that industrial sustainability is strengthened when there is public-private coordination.

The plant's active participation in regional and national forums has also helped give visibility to progress and share good practice, generating impact beyond its own operational boundaries.

Leadership that builds sustainability into corporate management

At Global Zero Waste we would like to extend special congratulations to the team that made this achievement possible.

This milestone has the firm backing of senior management. Under the leadership of Mariano Paz, Senior Director and General Manager of Softys Uruguay, sustainability has become a structural pillar of the business in Uruguay, ensuring that environmental, operational and governance commitments are fully built into strategic planning and decision-making. When sustainability is embedded in the management model rather than running as a parallel initiative, the conditions are created to sustain results over the long term.

Along the same lines, strategic direction on sustainability has been led by Lucía Estrada, from the Legal, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs area, who has promoted the cross-cutting integration of sustainability within corporate management. That work has strengthened internal governance, the consistency between declared targets and operational execution, and the alignment of the local operation with the Softys Group's regional strategy, ensuring that environmental commitments are measurable, auditable and consistent over time.

On the technical side, the leadership of Santiago Giardello, Head of Safety and Environment, and Victoria Heber, Environment Supervisor, has been decisive in guaranteeing the rigorous implementation of the Zero Waste Management System in the operation. The discipline in tracking indicators, waste traceability, continuous process improvement and the ownership of the standard by the teams on the plant floor all reflect sound technical management that has made it possible to hold the certification for three consecutive years and move up to Platinum level.

This recognition, however, goes beyond individual leadership. Every member of the plant's staff has helped consolidate an organisational culture in which responsible waste management is part of daily work and continuous improvement is understood as a shared responsibility. Sustaining a standard of this magnitude year after year demands constant training, coordination between areas, cross-cutting commitment and a shared conviction that sustainability is an essential part of operational excellence.

A benchmark for the regional industry

Being the first company in Uruguay to obtain and hold Gold category certification, and today to establish itself as a Platinum Affiliate, positions Softys Uruguay as a benchmark in the regional paper industry.

This case shows that the circular economy is viable when:

• Sustainability is built into the corporate strategy.
• There is clear, accountable leadership.
• Indicators are measurable and auditable.
• Continuous improvement is part of the organisational culture.

Caring for the future today

Recognition as a Platinum Affiliate is not an isolated symbol. It is the result of three years of consistent work, of coherent strategic decisions and of a committed team that understands that tomorrow is built with concrete actions in the present.

At Global Zero Waste we reiterate our congratulations to Softys Uruguay, to its leaders and to every one of its staff. Their work shows that sustainability is not an aspirational speech but a solid, measurable and replicable business practice.

Because when an organisation decides to care for the future today, it transforms its operation, strengthens its territory and raises the standard of its entire industry.

If you missed the broadcast of the most recent International Zero Waste Recognition Ceremony, we invite you to watch it again here:

We encourage you to get to know first-hand the organisations that are raising the standard of sustainability in the region and showing that the circular economy is a reality when there is leadership, technical management and collective commitment.