Brazil launched a platform to track and record the entire journey of recycled plastics, aiming to increase recycling rates and promote the reuse of these materials within the country.
Recircula Brasil, the platform developed by the Brazilian Industrial Development Agency, or ABDI, and the Brazilian Association of Plastics Industry, or Abiplast, uses electronic invoices to trace the path of recycled plastics from its origin to its reinsertion as a feedstock in the manufacture of a new product, ensuring transparency, legal security and reliability across the supply chain.
The initiative aligns with the objectives set by the recently presented national industry policy called New Industry Brazil, or NIB, that addresses actions related to sustainability, circular economy, innovation, and technology for the next decade. It also supports the National Circular Economy Strategy, whose decree for its establishment was signed by President Luiz Inácio Lula on June 27, coordinated by the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services, or MDIC.
Recircula Brasil was also recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme as an exemplary platform for monitoring of the entire process from plastics disposal to recycling into a new packaging or product. The platform, launched on July 26, not only ensures the effective reuse of recyclable materials but also promotes confidence and security in the recycling process, reducing the scope for greenwashing and benefiting both companies and consumers.
With that, Recircula Brasil is expected to provide the necessary data certification and security related to recycled plastics to facilitate access to international markets and direction of investments and public policies.
The platform has already verified over 14,000 metric tons of recycled plastics during its pilot phase. With its official launch, on July 26, it is expected to have an even greater impact. According to ABDI, Brazil's plastic market generates 7.05 million tons of plastic annually, with packaging alone accounting for 3.4 million tons, which makes it possible to certify around 2.3 million tons of packaging per year, ABDI estimates.
Data from Abiplast shows that mechanical recycling of post-consumer plastic reached 25.6% in 2022. The research also highlights significant growth since 2018, with an increase of 46% in volume and 42.6% in revenue per ton produced, reaching Real 3.1 million.
According to the organizations, a decree being drafted by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change aims to address plastic circularity and establish that companies must prove approximately 25% of recycled content in their products in the first year. With that, the target for the program could be expanded to certify 558,000 to 736,000 tons of packaging in the first five years after the decree's publication.
According to participants in the Brazilian recycled plastics market, the establishment of new policies aimed at enhancing market transparency and stability is crucial for creating a more predictable business environment and attracting greater investments.
