By Equipe de Redação
Posted in November 6, 2024
Pernambuco, November 6, 2024 – In a ceremony held this morning at the Palácio do Campo das Princesas, the seat of the State Government of Pernambuco, with the presence of the Governor, the HEINEKEN Group, through its impact business ecosystem Heineken Spin, in partnership with Ambipar, announced the inauguration of the first glass processing center in Brazil. With an initial investment of R$ 8 million, the facility will be located in the city of Jaboatão dos Guararapes, focused on receiving, sorting, and processing glass materials. The companies expect substantial glass processing, along with the creation of 60 jobs (direct and indirect) and the integration of ten recycling cooperatives from Recife, totaling 300 collectors.
This center’s activity will focus on adequately processing post-consumer glass packaging, and in partnership with Ambipar, the company will also work on selling the material to the glass industry, supporting a cycle of circularity and income. The recycling center will be set up in the space currently occupied by Ambipar in the State dedicated to reverse logistics. Besides Pernambuco, the next State to host a hub will be Bahia, later in 2024.
According to the companies, Pernambuco was chosen as a priority location to begin operations this year due to its economic and sustainable potential. In 2023, the HEINEKEN Group invested R$ 1.2 billion in its Igarassu brewery to boost its mainstream pure malt portfolio, especially with Amstel. Anticipating a growing need for glass collection, treatment, and reverse logistics, the investment also aimed to accelerate the company’s sustainability agenda in the region. Additionally, Pernambuco hosts one of Ambipar Environment’s largest units in Brazil, with an operational area of 14,000 m², equivalent to more than 11 Olympic swimming pools.
“The idea is to cover areas where glass collection is almost non-existent. We believe that by bringing logistics closer and generating demand for the material in these regions, we can lower costs and consequently provide better compensation for those at the forefront of this value chain: the collectors. Our goal is to strengthen the glass circularity cycle by expanding our operations in buying and selling cullet, allowing us to contribute to new links in the chain. Beyond suppliers, we want to be an active partner, facilitating the flow of recycled raw materials and encouraging a more efficient production chain for everyone involved,” explains Mauro Homem, Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs at the HEINEKEN Group.
In practice, the hub structure will be used to purchase material from cooperatives and independent collectors, with a commitment to collect packaging from these partners. According to the HEINEKEN Group executive, this is currently a significant bottleneck for advancing recycling of this material. “The hubs will clean, crush, and process the glass for subsequent sale to the glass industry,” says the executive.
“We see a great opportunity with the hubs. On one side, there is the potential to promote environmental education and improve the glass recycling chain. On the other, there is the chance to generate income and offer decent working conditions for recycling workers. Thus, Ambipar acts as a fundamental link, providing structure, supporting cooperatives, and connecting them with logistics operators and recyclers,” explains Felipe Cury, Head of Post-consumption at Ambipar. He further explains that Ambipar is already operating in the state and sees potential in the northeastern ecosystem. “And now, we are excited to have a brand like Heineken join forces with us for a more sustainable future,” Cury adds.
Governor Raquel Lyra speaks on the importance of establishing the center in the State. “For us in the Government of Pernambuco, it is a great joy to have the opportunity to support an initiative like the installation of this hub. Our goal is to make our State prominent in the Northeast and Brazil in a sustainable way, leaving no one behind. That’s why it’s so important to provide opportunities for those who work in recycling while also taking care of our natural resources,” states the Governor.
After being cleaned and crushed, the sale of this glass cullet will be negotiated by the business unit with glassmakers, who will produce new HEINEKEN bottles to be used in breweries, a cycle that is expected to expand, benefiting all involved in the process: collectors, the market, and the environment.
Launch of the Hub in Pernambuco
For the Hub inauguration, an event was held in conjunction with the State Government of Pernambuco at the Palácio do Campo das Princesas on November 6. Attendees included Governor Raquel Lyra; Mauro Homem, Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs at the HEINEKEN Group; Felipe Curry, Head of Post-consumption at Ambipar; Vinicius Constantino, New Business Director of Ambipar; Maíra Pereira and Juliana Navea, Directors of Post-consumption and Circular Economy at Ambipar. Also in attendance were the Secretary of Environment and Sustainability of Pernambuco, Ana Luíza Ferreira; and the Secretary of Economic Development of Pernambuco, Guilherme Cavalcanti.
About the HEINEKEN Group
The HEINEKEN Group arrived in Brazil in May 2010 after acquiring the beer division of the FEMSA Group and, in 2017, acquired Brasil Kirin Holding S.A. (“Brasil Kirin”), becoming the second-largest player in the Brazilian beer market. The Group generates over 13,000 jobs and has 13 production units in the country, including 12 breweries, two microbreweries, and has started construction of its 15th brewery in Passos (MG). In Brazil, the HEINEKEN Group’s beverage portfolio includes Heineken®, Eisenbahn, Eisenbahn Unfiltered, Sol, Sol Zero, Baden Baden, Blue Moon, Lagunitas, Amstel, Amstel Ultra, Devassa, Devassa Tropicaê, Tiger, Bavaria, Glacial, Kaiser, No Grau, Schin, and Amstel Vibes. The non-alcoholic portfolio includes Heineken® 0.0, CLASH’D, FYS, Itubaína, Viva Schin, Skinka, and Água Schin. Headquartered in São Paulo, the company is a subsidiary of HEINEKEN NV, Europe’s largest brewery.
For more information, visit www.heinekenbrasil.com.br and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.
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About Ambipar
Ambipar is a Brazilian multinational and a global leader in environmental solutions, investing in and operating projects in decarbonization, circular economy, energy transition, and environmental regeneration, present in 40 countries with more than 20,000 employees. The company is listed on the B3 (AMBP3) and the New York Stock Exchange (AMBI). For more information, click here.
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