O-I tackles Brazil’s glass waste

Bottle manufacturer O-I Glass is taking steps to boost glass recycling in Brazil while reducing consumer waste.

The manufacturer has teamed up with the Recicleiros Institute public recycling organisation to increase the use of cullet in its glass containers. The partnership will recycle all glass packaging processed under Recicleiros’ Cidades [Cities] Programme of existing and planned sorting plants across Brazil.

O-I expects to recover 3 000 tonnes of glass in the first year. Ultimately, it aims to prove that feasibility of glass recycling is an integral part of Brazil’s circular economy.

‘We want to increase glass recycling in regions of the country where it was not yet feasible,’ says O-I’s sustainability specialist Alexandre Macário. He points out that long distance logistics is a huge barrier towards increasing recycled content.

The manufacturer has also gained support from Orizon, which operates the Jaboatão dos Guararapes Ecopark in Pernambuco, the largest sorting operation in Latin America. Orizon manages 15 Ecoparks across Brazil, catering to the waste generated by more than 40 million people in 10 different states.

O-I and Orizon observe that 60% of glass packaging in Brazil typically gets landfilled, though recycling results have been improving. They cite a lack of efficient collection and processing infrastructure as a problem to be fixed.