The reverse logistics system for plastic packaging was the subject of another decree published in October by the federal government relating to the environment and the circular economy. The document lists, among other points, a series of objectives for the recycling of plastic and its reuse in the manufacture of new materials.
Already in force, this is the first initiative in Brazil to regulate the reduction of the volume of plastic waste. Called the Plastics Decree, the new regulations are considered ambitious by those who have followed policy developments for several years.
“These are certainly ambitious goals, given the situation. And the Ministry of Environment, in conversations preceding the promulgation of the decree, has already made it clear that this would be the case,” says Paulo Teixeira, executive president of the Brazilian Association of the Plastic Industry (Abiplast). “It is understood that these objectives can be achieved knowing that a restructuring of several chains is necessary and that it is necessary to sit down to periodically evaluate public policies.”
The goals cited as ambitious by Teixeira are to collect and recycle 32% of all packaging and disposable plastics, such as plates, cutlery, cups and straws, in 2026, and by 2040, reach 50%; for the reuse of recyclable materials in the manufacture of new plastics, 22% by 2026 and 40% by 2040.
“This is another positive initiative within the efforts presented by the Federal Government in terms of reverse logistics, circular economy. It should also be accompanied by an incentive for those who make up the chain, for the collectors”, estimates Antônio Januzzi, technical director of the Brazilian Association of Waste and Environment (Abrema).
Abrema herself highlights one of the difficulties encountered in achieving the objectives of the decree, which comes 15 years after the implementation of the National Solid Waste Policy. The entity’s surveys indicate that the total amount of recycled materials in Brazil, which is the 8th largest plastic polluter in the world and the largest producer in Latin America, does not reach 9%.
For the executive president of Abiplast, the challenges posed by the decree on plastics no longer need to be demonstrated. “First, the number of landfills we still have, which reflects an emerging waste policy and recycling cooperatives struggling to maintain sustainability. Second, taxation, which makes recycled plastic less competitive compared to virgin plastic. And finally, the consumer’s lack of connection with the conscious purchasing decision of a recycled material.”
Recirculate Brazil
Faced with this situation, Abiplast and the Brazilian Industrial Development Agency (ABDI) recently developed the Recircula Brasil platform. The initiative was presented at COP30 by the federal government as a basis for the creation of a public company dedicated to the management, certification and standardization of recycling data.
The structure ensures complete monitoring of the cycle of recyclable materials, from the origin of collection to their reinsertion into the production chain, with control and transparency.
“We believed that the project would work not only for plastic, but for the entire industry. Recircula Brasil offers legal guarantees to those who intend to act within the decree and attests to the public commitment of companies,” explains Teixeira.
The platform has already tracked 50,000 tonnes of recycled plastic in a year and a half of operation and plans to reach an additional 250,000 tonnes in 2026.
It also identified 304 suppliers of waste or plastic resin with recycled content, spread across 11 Brazilian states. Of all processed materials, 62.5% comes from wholesale trade, 14.8% from the processing industry and 4.3% from collection cooperatives.
With the creation of the federal public company, it is planned to extend certification to other sectors, such as aluminum, glass, cardboard and fabric. The entry into the aluminum sector has already been formalized by an agreement with the Brazilian Aluminum Association (Abal), with an expected certification of an additional 300,000 tonnes.
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