BRAZIL

Forest Plastic



Circular Economy in the Amazon Basin

Business platform for impact off-setting


Amazonia: the new frontier for plastic pollution.

6,100,000 km2 basin area - nearly twice as large as that of the Congo River, the Earth's other great equatorial drainage system.

WATER-BORN PLASTIC in the largest river system

Brazilian government policies to promote economic growth in Amazonia triggered an increase in the region’s population, from 1.4 million to 23 million inhabitants in few years. In the Amazon basin the inhabitants are around 34 million.

Few communities have adequate landfills, and much of their trash ends up in rivers. Plastic constitutes 15.7% of the total solid waste produced in Amazonia, more than double the national average.

We conservatively estimate that 182,085 metric tons of plastic are being discarded into Brazil’s Amazonian environment each year.

It is thought to be responsible for generating 10% of the total amount of plastic waste found in the world’s oceans. the Amazon now ranks as the world’s second most polluted river in terms of plastic, only behind China’s Yangtze River



 
The Amazon Forest belongs to the world ?
That means that even the Amazon waste belong to the world.




 

Pilot Site - Santarém
The city is included in the 10 worst cities in the ranking of basic sanitation in the country.

  • Santarém collects approximately 73.25% of waste; only 1.02% of this waste has an environmentally appropriate destination.
  • Santarém uses an open dump.
  • No municipal selective collection.
  • 4 collectors' cooperatives.
  • 200 people working in the separation of garbage in the open dump.
  • Lack of recyclers in the region
  • The logistical difficulty considering long distances from industries and the significant increase in fuel costs.

Existing market demanding credit
  • Companies ambition for recycled raw material
  • Favorable legislation
  • Structure national market for off setting  (book and claim)
  • Structured exchange off-setting credits market with BVRIO
Social Franchise Business Model
  • Platform for recycling supply chain and manufactures
  • Social and Environmental Impacts so far
  • Investors
 

 

Pathways for transformation
 


Social Franchise Business Model for Cooperatives

Social Business Platfoarm enabling collectors to improve their income, working conditions and generating benefits for the environment and entire society.


Increase the flow of recycled materials

Environmental, Social and Economic benefits for closing the loop, increasing the flow of materials that the recycling supply chain can offer to packaging industry.


Off-setting raw materials impact

Financial instrument to boost recycling rates in the Amazon biome, while companies have access to verified offsetting credits for their environmental footprint.


 

Business model

 


2023 Time-Line

 

Q1. Building Capacities to deploy the Social Franchise in Amazon

  • Select recycling cooperative to integrate the Social Franchise;
  • Deploy capacity-building support to cooperatives to implement Social Franchise services;
  • Mobilize recycled materials buyers, aggregators, and product makers;
  • Design improvement action plan with Santarem Cluster.

Q2. Issue Verified off-setting Credits from Amazon Recycling Cooperatives

  • Design off-setting credits for international investments;
  • Design Verification Process for off-setting credits;
  • Verify chain of custody for amazon origin;
  • Stablish value per tonnage effectively recycled;
  • Project the recycling capacity for 2023 and 2024.

Q3. Mobilize a cluster of 10 companies to check their footprint

  • Identify key companies with a connection to Amazon Biome and their plastic footprint with packaging;
  • Mobilize sustainability leads;
  • Organize project kick-off in positioning Forest Plastic Solution.

Q4. Secure the expansion of recycled volumes of plastics

  • Systematize business model and knowledge of expansion along amazon waterways cities;
  • Implement feasibility study for Belém and for remote cities such as Oriximina


 
Interested in learning more about the initiative?
Listen to the interview with Francesco Bertolini - President of Brands4Sustainability - totally dedicated to the Amazon. 


Click "Play" to listen to the interview

 
  - Amazzonia Patria Nostra del 12/03 -
 


 

 

 
Geo&Geo episode: The Amazon forest threatened by waste.

Click the link below view the episode with Francesco Bertolini.

View the episode

 
Respect for Life on Earth: Brands 4 Sustainability Amazon Project

Click the link below view the episode.

View the episode