Brasil Pack Trends 2020

BrasilPackTrends2020 196 sustainabi l ity & ethics 7.5 MANAGEMENT OF RESIDUES & REVERSE LOGISTICS Important diagnosis of the current situation of solid residues in the country was published in document Solid Waste and Green Economy (GARCIA, 2012b). In this document some priority actions to be performed along the production chain are suggested: It falls to the private sector the challenge to develop technologies that extend the life time of the produced materials and the use of recycled materials for the production of new products. • The management of the plans National, State and Regional of Integrated Solid Waste Management should be done by the government, with priority actions for remediation and closure of landfills, construction of composting plants for treatment of organic waste and construction of landfills. • The development of technologies that extend the life time of products and the use of recycled materials for the production of new ones should be the challenge of the private sector. • The responsibility of to adequately separate the organic material and the recyclables from the garbage, as well as the changing of habits to a more sustainable level with revision of real consumption needs should be followed by all consumers. The establishment of the reverse logistics chain is not a simple task and involves many aspects. In fact, in cases where the use of packaging in a second production process already provides a financial return for the agents involved, as in the case of old corrugated paperboard boxes and aluminum cans, the return of post-consumer packaging already exists. However, in most cases, that chain needs to be created and established. In this direction, the NPSW establishes the need for structuring the reverse logistics chain to return the materials that commercially, still does not have an aggregated value. It is very important, however, realize that the creation of this chain does not occur spontaneously. If does not exists a clear determination of the generating sector in returning these materials to the production cycle, or gives an appropriate destination, this chain cannot be established. In order to ensure that the reverse chain is real and can be maintained, it must be economically viable, which means that it must pay all the involved agents in an adequate way. This perception of the need to go beyond your own gates was perceived long ago by Tetra Pak, which is a great example of company that was able to foster, encourage, and establish the reverse logistics chain of the aseptic packages after use. These containers of liquids are formed by the combination of three materials: cardboard, which gives rigidity and packing structure, alternating layers of polyethylene (PE), which protect the cardboard from external moisture and also constitutes the primary contact material with the liquid beverage, and an aluminum foil (Al), which preserves the aroma and extends the shelf life of the product which reaches, in the case of milk for example, up to six months. This multilayer material is currently separated from the common waste (the current recycling rate is 28%) and the cellulosic fiber content recovered in “hidrapulpers” present in paper recycling companies. The remaining residue consisting primarily of polyethylene and aluminum, is currently intended for the manufacture of PE/Al tiles and to the EET-Brasil Aluminum and Paraffin Ltd. company at Piracicaba. At the EET company, through a plasma process (~15,000ºC), high purity aluminum is obtained and the polyethylene is transformed into paraffin (VON ZUBEN, 2006). LCA studies carried out by CETEA attest that recycling has environmental benefits, even considering the impacts of all these stages of the reverse chain (MOURAD et al., 2008a and 2008b). The reverse logistics chain – Tetra Pak’s case