The multinational focused on recycling and the circular economy plans expansion in the Free Trade Zone

Ambipar invests and operates projects in decarbonization, circular economy, energy transition, and environmental regeneration. The company manufactures recycling machines, already well-known in Amazonas (Disclosure).

According to a report by Allied Market Research, the global recycling market was valued at approximately USD 400 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3% by 2030. The plastic recycling sector, for example, has been gaining prominence due to increasing pressure to reduce the use of disposable plastics. It is estimated that by 2025, the global volume of recycled plastic waste will reach 9.2 million tons per year.

This is the market in which the Brazilian company Ambipar operates, having already established itself internationally as the global leader in environmental solutions, investing and operating projects in decarbonization, circular economy, energy transition, and environmental regeneration. Currently, it is present in over 40 countries, with more than 20,000 employees.

Recently, the multinational entered Manaus by acquiring the company Brasil Coleta. Now, according to Adriano Pereira, Head of Circular Economy and Transformation Industry at Ambipar, the plan is to establish and expand the brand within the context of Amazonas and the Manaus Free Trade Zone. “In the last two years, we’ve been structuring other units that aren’t here, but now we’ve entered the Free Trade Zone precisely to grow this business. It’s a company already inserted within Suframa, fully legalized, and now we are looking to understand why it hasn’t reached the levels we want within Manaus. We are investing in new lines; these are high investments because there is a lot of volume to be explored, both within and outside the Amazon region,” says Pereira in an interview with A Crítica.

Last week, the multinational inaugurated its newest project: a plant focused on urban mining of large items, such as refrigerators, stoves, etc. – in an investment of BRL 100 million. The first plant processes small and medium-sized electronic materials. For Pedro Petersen, Director of Investor Relations at Ambipar, the possibility of establishing such a plant at its Manaus branch is not ruled out, considering the logistical challenges of transferring recyclable materials from the North to the Southeast of the country. “We have waste management and recycling lines for paper and cardboard there. At some point, we will invest in new plastic recycling lines to grow our processing capacity, as due to the Free Trade Zone and logistical challenges, it is important for us to do this recycling locally rather than transporting it elsewhere. So, everything we can enhance in terms of waste recovery and investment in the region, we have been doing. We are also very excited about the Amazon biome in a reforestation project, where we can sequester carbon with nature-based solutions,” said Petersen. “These are challenges, after all, we are talking about a continental country with diverse contexts, so transforming this product locally is always better for us. So, having the possibility of doing everything locally, we will do it, and that’s why the investments,” emphasizes Adriano Pereira.

‘Recicla Galera’, in Parintins

The company’s insertion in Amazonas, as well as its sustainability ideals, has already begun and is yielding results, especially during the Parintins Folklore Festival, as the ‘Recicla Galera’ project uses machines designed and produced by the company. “The recycling machines project has brought great results for us, in addition to all the exposure it brings to the brand. There is a comment from Izabela Teixeira that really marked us; she said, ‘We will only be successful when recycling is embedded in popular culture, only when it is in all the football stadiums in Brazil,’ and Parintins is an excellent example of what we can do for awareness,” emphasizes Petersen.

Born at the Parintins Folklore Festival in 2019, “Recicla, Galera” has become the largest initiative of the Government of Amazonas to encourage the correct disposal of recyclable waste and, at the same time, promote environmental education allied with sustainable income generation for recyclable material pickers.

• Click here to read this article in full