Environmental Performance
The management seeks ecoefficiency
inpEV conducts, every two years, a socio-ecoefficiency study, using a method developed by Fundação Espaço Eco. The fifth study, which consolidates the environmental studies of the Campo Limpo System between 2002 and 2012, presents a lifecycle assessment (LCA), according to NBR ISO 14040, considering the manufacture of pesticide containers, their uses, post-consumer return at the receiving units, transportation to final disposal and their actual last stage (recycling or incineration).
The indicators are obtained from the comparing to a scenario without the program of reverse logistics, considering the energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, toxicity potential, workplace diseases and accidents, consumption of natural resources and land use. The commitment to the environment is also seen in other data: inpEV did not receive any fine or nonmonetary sanction due to failure to observe environmental laws and regulations. <EN26>
From 2002 to 2012, the Campo Limpo System prevented the emission of 343,000 tons of CO2e (equivalent carbon dioxide) – which corresponds to fuel combustion for 1,515 turns around the Earth or the emissions due to extraction of 786.000 oil barrels. It also prevented 1.7 million trees from being cut in the same period (see highlighted information below). <EN18 and EN26>
Reduction of environmental impact <EN26>
>Energy
Since 2002, Brazil has saved the amount of energy to supply 1.4 million houses, or approximately 137,000 houses a year for 10 years, due to the activities performed under the Campo Limpo System. It is mainly a result of the fact that the plastics value chain uses oil byproducts that demand too much energy for extraction, processing and transportation.
Effluents
Water consumption savings corresponded to 36.4 billion liters, or 36 million water tanks of 1,000 liters each. One of the main reasons for that is that partner recycling organizations use closed water systems.
Emissions
The System prevented emissions of CO2e (equivalent carbon dioxide) that totaled 343,000 tons, an amount that 1,515 trips around the Earth would have released in the atmosphere.
Oil and natural gas
The System, in this case, prevented the extraction of 786.000 oil barrels between 2002 and 2012, mostly related to the plastics value chain.
Rational transportation
The type of transportation of empty containers from container receiving centers to disposal sites uses the return freight. Today, all freights for such transportation follows this concept, which consists in using the same truck to take filled containers to points of sale and/or distribution sites and bring empty containers to the recycling or incineration site.
With this measure, inpEV pays only one portion of the transportation cost. Besides the economic advantages, this method brings environmental gains, as the System uses the truck already in circulation, instead of requesting others to transport more containers from the Campo Limpo System, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. <EN29>
To take the empty containers from receiving units and send them to ecologically aware disposal, inpEV coordinates a complex logistic operation. Several operational improvements are directly implemented in the receiving centers to increase productivity in truck container transportation, such as revision of pack dimension and tying, press compaction pressure and best loading methods, among others. <EN29>
In 2002, the average amount of empty containers transported reached 7,050 kilos per truck, and in 2012, it reached 13,021 kilos – 84.6% increase. Such increase confirms the effectiveness of the continuous improvement process adopted since the system started operating, with inpEV exceeding the 2012 goal of 12,800 kilos.
Since 2002, 71,953 trucks have circulated across Brazil under the System. In 2012, 9,748 trucks circulated, 2% less than in 2011, transporting 9.3% more containers, which represents gains in productivity due to three aspects:
- > improvement in truck transportation from receiving stations to centers (9.5% increase in the amount of transported containers);
- > improvement in truck transportation from receiving centers to disposal sites (3.4% increase in relation to 2011, from 12,589 to 13,021);
- > lower quantity of freights from receiving stations to centers.
In the following years, no significant increase is expected in the truck transportation indicator, considering that the load limit of one truck has almost been reached.
No leak has ever been reported during the transportation of pesticide containers. Loads to recycling should be empty, dry and clean. Empty containers taken to incineration are placed in bigbags with liners (a film that prevents leaks).
However, inpEV does not monitor data on the transportation of employees.
Environmental investment
In 2012, the industry of pesticide manufacturers invested, through inpEV, R$ 56.5 million in the Campo Limpo System. However, in general, R$ 81.7 million were invested in the period, with R$ 13.7 million of this amount allocated to different initiatives and actions of environmental management (see table below). <EN30>
Total investments and expenditures related to environmental protection, by type <EN30>
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expenditures with treatment and disposal of waste | 6,457 | 7,703 | 10,738 |
| Incineration of non-rinsed containers | 5,789 | 6,869 | 6,940 |
| Disposal of obsolete pesticides, unsuitable products (program with states and projects in PR and SP) | 668 | 788 | 3.091 |
| Disposal of illegal products | 0 | 0 | 300 |
| Pilot projects for the disposal of seed bags and containers of sanitizers | 0 | 46 | 407 |
| Expenses with environmental prevention and management | 2,859 | 3,264 | 3,038 |
| Educational actions² | 2,564 | 3,002 | 2,859 |
| Monitoring and prevention | 295 | 262 | 179 |
| Total | 9,316 | 10,967 | 13,776 |
Notes:
(1) No expenditure were reported with treatment of air emissions and remediation.
(2) They include investments in awareness and education such as: events, the National Day of Campo Limpo, Campo Limpo Environmental Education Program, materials produced for lectures and farm days, as well as materials used by multipliers.
In addition, inpEV has expenditures with soil and water monitoring and environmental prevention at container receiving centers in São Paulo to identify possible risks of employee and environmental contamination. For instance: analysis of pesticide quantity, in parts per million (PPM), of recycled products and control of triple rinsing efficiency.
Every year a state is randomly selected for tests to inspect whether this process has been performed correctly by the manufacturers. In 2012, the analyses were conducted at container receiving centers in Mato Grosso do Sul.
Energy consumption <EN3 and EN4>
The energy consumed at the headquarter of inpEV and container receiving units directly managed by the institute is provided by the municipal system and concessionaires operating in the electricity provision system. Therefore, there are no data for direct energy consumption.
In 2012, the consumption of indirect energy reached 287.57 GJ, an increase of 27.58% when compared to the total consumption in 2011, as the monitoring system included the consumption of 64.22 GJ from the container receiving unit of Rondonópolis (MT).
For the container receiving unit in Taubaté (SP), data are not monitored, considering that it is located inside the plant of Campo Limpo Reciclagem e Transformação de Plásticos. For this reason, it is impossible to separately monitor the energy consumption of this receiving center.
Water consumption <EN8>
The water consumed by the institute is supplied by the public system. In 2012, besides monitoring the consumption at the headquarter in São Paulo, inpEV started to monitor also the amount consumed at the receiving center in Rondonópolis, resulting in a significant increase in the total consumption. In the 2012 balance, the consumption at the headquarter was 324.2 m3 and, at the receiving unit in Mato Grosso, 638.9 m3.
In 2012, total consumption was 962.2 m3. As the receiving unit in Taubaté is inside the plant of Campo Limpo Reciclagem e Transformação de Plásticos, it is not possible to separately measure its consumption from the company’s consumption.
The headquarter and both units in Rondonópolis (MT) and Taubaté (SP) only generate household waste, always taken to the public sewage system for treatment. The rinsing process of post-consumer empty containers does not generate wastewater, as they are rinsed by farmers, at the moment of product utilization, so the rinsing water can be directly poured into the spray tank and used in farming activities. <EN21>