Syngenta uses recycled resin packaging to store crop protection products

Date:04-20-2021

A pioneer in supporting and adopting recycled products from the Campo Limpo System (the reverse logistics program for empty packaging and post-consumer leftover pesticides), Syngenta was one of the first companies in the agrochemical sector to use pesticide containers in its operations, manufactured from recycled packaging resin that stored similar ingredients.

The use of recycled packaging, identified by the ECO TRIEX^® seal, is linked to the commitments of Syngenta's Sustainable Agriculture Plan, among which is the 50% reduction in the carbon intensity of the company's operations, which contributes to the goal of the Paris Agreement on climate change and adherence to the SBTi commitment to preventing an increase in global temperature above 1.5°C.

“In 2020, a third of the containers used by Syngenta were made from recycled resin, including those with the ECO TRIEX^® seal. This year, the goal is to further increase the consumption of recycled resin,” pointed out Jorge Buzzetto, Director of Supply Operations Brazil at Syngenta. According to the executive, in addition to the commitments aimed at reducing emissions and controlling global temperature, the goal of Syngenta's Sustainable Agriculture Plan is to launch two disruptive technologies each year to help producers face climate change.

“With this, the company aims to contribute to accelerating innovation for farmers and reducing environmental impacts; intensify work so that agriculture is carbon neutral; promote the safety and health of people; and establish strategic partnerships,” he added.

Emissions Reduction

By implementing the concept of circular economy, the Campo Limpo System - a program that has inpEV (National Institute for the Processing of Empty Packaging) as a management entity - generates several environmental benefits, including the reduction of emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e). This is because of every 100 packages received by the program, 94 are recycled, both transformed into resins for various artefacts, as well as used as raw material for the manufacture of new packages of pesticides (Ecoplástica^®) and lids (Ecocap^®), manufactured by the Campo Limpo recycler, who developed the ECO TRIEX^® seal.

The system has surpassed the milestone of 600,000 tons of empty packaging sent to an environmentally appropriate destination since 2002. With this, it prevented more than 820,000 tons of CO₂e from being dumped into the atmosphere. The volume is equivalent to approximately 15,500 truck trips around the Earth.

“The strategic partnership with inpEV and Campo Limpo, among others, as well as the use of sustainable packaging, is at the heart of Syngenta's values and commitments to sustainability, which seeks balanced agriculture through harmony between economic, social and environmental pillars,”, Buzzetto revealed.