In 2010, it was enacted the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS), which indicates the obligation of proper treatment of all post-consumption waste, that is, everything we consume must be reused as much as possible, with the use of landfills being the last alternative. According to the PNRS, this proper disposal is a shared responsibility between industry, commerce, government and the final consumer. That is, as in Europe, the understanding is that everyone involved with the availability, use and disposal of the product is responsible for its environmental impact.
Figure 1 – Dump sites have their days numbered in Brazil
Source: Wikipedia
In this context, industries from various segments are organizing themselves to put the reverse logistics operation to work. Each industry association discussed operational alternatives with the government, which defined collection infrastructure implementation goals for the first 5 years and an initial return volume goal from the sixth year of operation.
Generally speaking, most segments are organizing themselves through management entities. The management entities will be responsible for putting the reverse logistics operation to work, hiring transporters, distribution centers, recyclers and aligning the allocation of collection points with the trade. The consumer, then, should take the waste to the collection point, thus closing the reverse cycle.
The costs of this reverse logistics operation will be part of the cost of the product, given that each industry will have to pay a fixed amount, called ecovalor, to the managing entities to ensure proper disposal. This ecovalue can be fully or partially passed on to the final consumer within the price of the product, this decision being an option for each company.
The most recently created managing entities were the recycling (Reverse Logistics of Lamps) and the Green Electron (Reverse Logistics for computers and cell phones), and the organization of operational tests is still in the process of starting the implementation of the reverse logistics operation shortly.
Gisela Mangabeira de Sousa
https://ilos.com.brGisela Sousa is Executive Partner and Senior Manager of Consumer Goods at ILOS. She has already participated in several projects associated with logistics and supply chain for large companies. She has extensive experience in the topic of sustainability in supply chain / reverse logistics and in logistics and supply chain for the healthcare sector. She holds a degree in civil engineering with national and international specializations in logistics, supply chain and operations.
