O-I’s recycling project with Recitotal has seen notable increases in glass separation and donation in São Paulo, Brazil.
Since 2019, the glass recycling and processing company has collected glass for O-I’s plant in São Paulo.
Every day, Recitotal staff travel the same 5km route via motorised tricycles, collecting glass bottles and jars from bars, restaurants, and condominiums.
The glass they collect returns to O-I’s plant to be created into new glass packaging.
The tricycles are green to represent the international standard for glass recycling. Each has a Glass Collection identification and has a bucket that holds up to 400kg of glass.
The routes and the green bikes have made Recitotal so recognisable that people are accustomed to seeing them and stop the vehicles to donate glass.
Managing Director Renata De Moraes Pereira Tambasco reports that this has led to notable increase in both glass separation and donation.
“Each ton of glass recycled in the manufacturing process saves 2.9% in energy consumption,” explained Morgana Correa, Legal and Government Relations Manager at O-I and leader of the O-I Sustainability Committee in South America.
Ms Tambasco also notes a greater appreciation of the importance of recycling glass, which is essential for the shift needed towards greater recyclability of glass.
“Increasing recycling rates in Brazil is a grandiose goal and contribution,” she said. “In the case of glass, the challenge is even greater, but we believe that collective awareness of its importance is the first concrete step towards successfully achieving consistent progress.”
