Piccadilly Company has been operating in the market for 66 years and is an example of sustainability in action. From the Basic Certification level, the company has already achieved the Diamond level of certification, which is the highest level of the Sustainable Origin program.
Morgana Marca, Piccadilly's ESG and Sustainability coordinator, says that over the past two decades the company has established itself as a reference in environmental management. The practices that contributed to the achievement of the Diamond certification (more than 80% of the indicators met) include the development of sustainable footwear lines, whose design was conceived from the use of recycled raw materials and environmentally friendly inputs; the constant review of industrial processes, focusing on waste and waste reduction, as well as the opportunity to apply the concepts of circular economy and reverse logistics; and the Zero Landfill policy - 100% implemented (since 2013).
Products
Since 2008, leather has been banned from the company's production. Piccadilly is proud to be among the largest companies that manufacture their products without the use of animal products. However, it did not stop there. Reusing is another step in caring for the environment.
This year, the So.Si Ecoar sneakers are made from recycled PET bottles without compromising quality.
Morgana claims each pair produced contains three and a half bottles of recycled PET and 17% recycled yarn from the textile industry.
In the context of ensuring the sustainability of the product, all Piccadilly packaging is certified by the FSC seal (Forest Stewardship Council) and is internationally recognized for accrediting companies with responsible forest management.
Zero landfill
Considering the global challenge of correct waste disposal from manufacturing processes, Morgana explains that Piccadilly invests significantly in technologies to handle waste from this area. "Piccadilly understands the importance of proper management of solid industrial waste generated by its operations, as it is one of the largest environmental impacts in the footwear manufacturing sector. As a result, the company continuously invests in innovation for the right treatment and recycling of its waste. It has not sent any industrial waste to landfills since 2013, one of the first companies in Brazil to do so.
In 2020, Piccadilly released its first inventory of greenhouse gas emissions. This was the first step in a major project whose main objective is to reduce the impacts caused by the industry's activities. According to the company, during the year, by purchasing energy from the free market, Piccadilly stopped emitting more than 129 thousand tons of CO2.
Recycled materials
Another difference in Piccadilly is the use of repurposed materials (PU) in production. According to the company, last year more than 60 thousand pairs of shoes were produced with repurposed counters. The recycled insoles were part of more than 340 thousand pairs of shoes.
Social
Aware of its social importance, Piccadilly promotes actions that involve gender equality, the well-being of employees, female encouragement, inclusion in the labor market, and the development of young apprentices, among others.
"We believe that we will only achieve a more equal world if we give opportunities to everyone.
At Piccadilly we encourage employees to evolve and seek personal and professional improvement", Morgana stresses.
In this context, the company also operates the Conexão program. This program was developed to further improve Piccadilly's work environment and the quality of life of employees, based on the concepts of safety, organization, cleanliness, quality, and productivity.
According to Morgana, the program is focused on the industrial area and is formed by an evaluation committee that periodically audits the structures and activities, and the scores are applied by the pillars that make up the Program.
In terms of social activity, the company launched the Revelar Movement in 2020, which provides comfort and affection through donations. During the pandemic, the company donated more than 5.5 thousand protective masks, 8 thousand pairs of gloves, 4 tons of food, and 2.4 thousand pairs of shoes. The products were donated to health professionals in Igrejinha and São Francisco de Paula, where it maintains activities; teachers from municipalities in the Vale do Paranhana region and elderly residents of Lar Bom Pastor.
Sustainability
For Piccadilly, sustainability is more than a fad. "Sustainability is a strategic pillar of the company," Morgana stresses. According to her, society and markets are rapidly changing, completing the transition to a more sustainable, circular, and low-carbon society, which is good for the planet and business.
Since all these issues are certified by the sole global program dedicated to sustainability in the footwear industry, Morgana says there are measurable results in the business field. "The achievement of the Diamond seal represents the work that has been done by our employees over the past years. We are not only talking about the Sustainability and Innovation Committee but everyone, in all units and departments.
There is no doubt that our journey in the Program has strengthened us as an organization, making us less susceptible to various risks (environmental, social, governance, legal or reputational), both in our units and throughout the value chain. In addition, we are more eager and prepared to seize the opportunities of the new sustainable, circular, and low-carbon economy.
These are competitive advantages that put us in a prominent position not only in Brazil but in the world," she says.
According to Morgana, the Sustainable Origin certification generates value on multiple fronts for the company. "First of all, it serves as a guide for the company to constantly seek to increase its level of maturity about ESG and corporate sustainability practices. We also know that sustainability initiatives are now seen as a major differential with importers and are gaining increasing relevance in the domestic market," she says.
On the other hand, Morgana points out that a sustainability strategy implies a commitment to continuous improvement and the planning and execution of environmental, social, economic, and cultural projects and actions, aligned with the company's policies and objectives. The institution of our Sustainability Policy led to the creation of an internal process to create our ESG strategy, by defining medium-term targets and performance indicators. Our Sustainability Report will allow all stakeholders to assess the company's performance transparently, thanks to the public disclosure of this strategy," he says.
The company
Present in the market for more than 66 years, PICCADILLY COMPANY is one of the largest companies in Brazil in the women's footwear sector, with products in more than 14 thousand points of sale in the country, including franchises, exclusive stores, and multi-brand stores. 1.7 thousand employees are working in the two manufacturing facilities in the Rio Grande do Sul. These employees produce more than 6 million pairs, including some exported to more than 100 countries, where the brand is present at 7 thousand of points of sale.
