Founded in 2000, Sambazon is a supplier of USDA Organic, Non-GMO, vegan, and Fair for Life Fair Trade Certified Açaí in the world

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Sambazon has committed to attain plant-based and post-consumer recycled packaging for all US retail products by 2025. (Credit: Markus Tries from Pixabay)

Fair-trade and organic Açaí supplier Sambazon has committed to attaining plant-based and post-consumer recycled packaging for all US retail products by 2025.

Sambazon, a manufacturer of aça-based meals and drinks, said in its inaugural impact report, that 64% of its packaging was made from post-consumer recycled or plant-based materials at the end of 2021.

That was nearly twice as much as the brand’s certified fair-trade and organic products recorded in 2019.

Brazilian açai, a well-known superfood fruit, only preserves its nutritional content for a short period of time after it is gathered, which is why it is typically shipped and sold frozen.

It placed in third place among all the frozen fruit sold in US shops in 2021, behind only blueberries and strawberries.

Food and beverage items containing açai now account for a $500m+ market and are expected to surpass $2bn by 2026.

Sambazon CEO and co-founder Ryan Black said: “For years, the frozen food industry has been reliant on plastic packaging for helping prolong shelf life.

“The frozen Açaí pack must be able to withstand the challenges of sealing, freezing, transportation, and thawing while staying strong and flexible in all conditions.

“In 2018, we joined the One Step Closer (OSC) Packaging Collaborative pioneering, testing, and trialling viable plant-based alternatives for the hard-to-replace frozen flexible films.”

Since 2019, Sambazon has switched from using plastic for their sorbet pints to using paper and post-consumer recyclable bottles for their fresh juices.

The certified organic Açai brand introduced the ready-to-eat bowls with plant fibre containers in 2020.

Sambazon was able to avoid using more than 360 metric tonnes of virgin plastic in 2021 because of changes in packaging.

Since its inception in 2000, Sambazon has developed from a food business that popularised aça bowls in America to a $100m+ industry leader.

With more than 25,000 distribution points at top stores and eateries in more than 50 countries, the company represents over 60% of the worldwide aça export market and 90% of the CPG market.