Electronic reverse logistics system for pesticide packaging in Rio de Janeiro a pioneer in Brazil

The environmentally-correct disposal of empty pesticide packaging is regulated by Law 9,974, for June 2000. In the law’s text, the reverse logistics system for this type of product was included and Brazil is continuing to be a world leader in this area. According to the National Institute for the Processing of Empty Packaging (inpEV), 94% of primary plastic containers are disposed of in line with sustainability criteria.

From March 2002 to December 2021, some 600,000 tons of post-use packaging was processed under the mechanisms set out in the legislation. inpEV's Operations manager, Antônio Carlos Amaral, credits the positive results to the harmony and awareness of the links in the chain. “The law governs the manufacturing industry, distributors, cooperatives, farmers and even the government. The law is modern and enforces penalties if it is not followed correctly and, due to the union of these links, it has been a success within Brazil,” he said.

According to Amaral, there are more than 400 fixed units for receiving pesticide packaging spread across the 26 Brazilian states and the Federal District, adding, “In addition, we also have more than 3,900 itinerant receipts across Brazil, according to our latest survey, so the system is designed for large farmers, as well as small ones.”

Photo: Divulgação inpEV

The inpEV manager stressed that in 2021, 53,800 tons of containers passed through the system, and all were disposed of correctly. “Much of it was recycled, incorporated into the circular economy and returned to packaging through a specific and unique factory in the world capable of operationalizing this process,” he said.

For Amaral, the main challenges of the system are rapidly implementing infrastructure in new places to receive packages, maintaining active communication between the links, and training rural producers to triple wash the container immediately after using pesticides, as well as scheduling deliveries.

Pioneering system

The state of Rio de Janeiro has advanced in the area of soybean cultivation in recent harvests. In 2019, the State Department of Agriculture implemented the first electronic pesticide control system to map the products purchased and delivered to farms and facilitate the control of packaging returns. The project started with 10% of waste being disposed of correctly, and currently the volume is around 70%.

Agronomist and pesticide control coordinator at the Secretariat, Leonardo Vicente da Silva, said the model adopted covers everything from authorization to the use of pesticides in Rio de Janeiro, trading products within the state, issuing agronomic measures that authorize use by farmers and, finally, the environmentally-appropriate destination of the packaging.

According to da Silva, the secretariat is very concerned about possible diversion of pesticide containers, since they are materials coveted by scrap dealers and gangs who can falsify the products. “Our system is planned and formatted so that, when a pesticide is sold, there is a transfer of stock from the commercial establishment to the farm. Therefore, it is registered in users’ CPF, so they can be certain on the amount of pesticide, which is related to a certain amount of packaging that is needed to be returned at licensed stations for this purpose,” he explained.

Carioca system

Da Silva stressed that the state of Rio de Janeiro has more than 15,000 rural properties, with packages scattered in different regions. “Here, producers buy small quantities and, therefore, the electronic system gives us the ability to understand where there is more packaging that is not being collected and drained at gas stations and, subsequently, actions are directed to those municipalities or regions where the returns are not adequate.”

Photo: Polícia Civil de Mato Grosso

He added that the goal of the carioca system is to achieve a 95% return of packaging, so, therefore, one of the major challenges is to make farmers aware. “For a long time, these packages were treated as common waste, so they were irregularly discarded, being burned, buried or thrown away into the environment. So, there are still a few producers who insist on these practices, but through the system’s monitoring and mapping, we will be able to reach them and try to convince them in a positive way. But if this is not possible, we will reach them in an imposing way. Thus, we will achieve an increasingly sustainable agriculture in our state,”, he said in conclusion.