Profile

Shared Responsibility

With its headquarter located in the city of São Paulo, inpEV is a nonprofit entity created by the pesticide industry for the post-consumer management of empty containers of its products, according to the requirements of Federal Law 9.974/2000 and Federal Decree 4.074/2002, which regulate the responsibility for the disposal of this type of waste shared by farmers, distribution channels and the industry, with support and supervision of public authorities.<2.1, 2.2, 2.4 and 2.6>

Shared responsibilities across the value chain

History

Achievements and new challenges

In the 1990s, the pesticide industry started discussing about the disposal of empty containers of agrochemicals. In 1992, Andef (the Brazilian Association of Vegetal Defense) proposed the creation of a group to study and understand the flow of post-consumer empty containers and establish parameters for a nationwide project. A pilot program was implemented in 1994, with the inauguration of an empty container receiving center in Guariba (SP).

The experience obtained with the pilot project helped the creation of specific regulations, that is, Federal Law 9.974, of June 2000, which amended Federal Law 7.802/89 and defined the issues related to the disposal of empty containers of pesticides, establishing responsibilities across the agricultural production chain to farmers, manufacturers, dealers and public authorities.

However, to make this system viable, it was increasingly necessary to have one specific entity that could integrate all agents, coordinate all activities of empty container disposal and promote awareness and education actions with the other players involved.

Created on December 14, 2001, inpEV started operating in March 2002, with seven associations that represent the sector and 27 associated companies. In its first year of operation, 3,700 tons of empty containers were disposed of, starting a continuous growth of the amounts of plastic containers collected in Brazil. <2.3 and 2.5>

In late 2012, these amounts reached 37,379 tons, totaling 240,233 tons in its first 10 years of operations. In the same period, adhesions to inpEV increased to 97 associated companies and ten associations.

The Campo Limpo System has the participation of different players, with integrated actions across the country and support of educational and awareness campaigns.

Integrated operations

Responsible for managing the disposal of empty containers of pesticides in Brazil, representing the industry of manufacturers and/or registration of these products, inpEV coordinates the Campo Limpo System, which has a national network of 414 container receiving units (302 stations and 112 centers), in 25 states and the Federal District (DF), managed by more than 260 associations of distributors and cooperatives; most of them operate in a co-management system with inpEV. <2.3, 2.5 and 2.7>

Conceived as a model of shared responsibilities, according to Law 9.974/00, the integrated chain of the Campo Limpo System operates with the participation of different players in activities from production and sale of pesticides (distributors/dealers), utilization and return of empty containers of pesticides by farmers to fixed or itinerant receiving centers and collection stations, to environmentally aware disposal, that is, recycling or incineration. This activity also has the support of educational and awareness campaigns promoted by the institute, with the participation of public authorities (see the graphic representation on Campo Limpo System).