Revista Meio Ambiente Industrial by Sofia Jucon - RMAI - 05/29/2023
By Writing Team
Posted in May 29, 2023
The initiative undertaken by Ambipar, which has already released over 1.2 million capsules filled with native plant seeds into the ground, has received 10 awards in Brazil and abroad.
Ambipar celebrates the recognition of the Sustainable Biocapsules Project – Transforming Waste into Trees. Based on the demand from the pharmaceutical and cellulose sectors, the company worked with collagen, which was being discarded in landfills, combined it with composted biomass from the cellulose industries, and developed capsules filled with native plant seeds. These capsules are remotely launched by Ambipar’s own drones for tree cultivation in remote or inaccessible areas.
In the Amazon biome, for example, the seeds are collected by cooperatives of traditional communities, thus promoting the economy of native peoples. To enhance the cycle and maximize results, the Biocapsules are also treated with Ecosolo®, a soil conditioner created and registered by Ambipar at the Ministry of Agriculture (Mapa). Ecosolo® improves water retention in the soil, promotes the development of microorganisms, and increases the productivity of plants such as soybeans, corn, and vegetables, thereby encouraging regenerative agriculture.
Sustainable Biocapsules Project
The capsules not only protect the seeds from sun, insects, and other factors but also quickly dissolve upon contact with water, forming nutrients and biological organisms that activate the seeds. They function as a “3-in-1” system, increasing the probability of germination, especially in degraded soils affected by deforestation, burning, erosion, or other anthropogenic degradation. Viability tests were conducted in strategic areas, such as degraded riparian forests around the Serra da Cantareira in Greater São Paulo. In total, the testing phase lasted about two years, and today Ambipar has equipment for large-scale production of the technology, producing nearly 30,000 Biocapsules per 8-hour shift with autonomous drones capable of carrying up to 20,000 Biocapsules per flight, equivalent to 1 hectare.
Gabriel Estevam Domingos, an environmental engineer, innovation specialist, and director of Research, Development, and Innovation at Ambipar Group, worked with his team since the beginning in late 2021 and provides an overview. “With the Sustainable Biocapsules Project, we and our partners have already released over 1.2 million seeds into the ground, achieving at least 60% productivity according to the monitoring of seedlings done with our own drone, programmed with specific coordinates, high-resolution images, and temperature readings. Thus, we embrace the three principles of the circular economy: eliminating waste from the outset with Biocapsules and Ecosolo, keeping products and materials in use at their highest value, and of course, contributing to the regeneration of natural systems,” emphasizes the director.
Awards
The Sustainable Biocapsules have attracted attention from professionals in ESG, Innovation, Technology, and Agriculture, among other sectors. On May 6, in Düsseldorf, Germany, Gabriel Estevam represented Ambipar when receiving the World Stars award, which recognized the Biocapsules project. The award has been held since 1970, aiming to increase awareness of the importance of packaging for a better life while recognizing innovation, design, sustainability, and technology in products. With nearly 500 entries from over 40 countries, the achievement becomes even more significant.
In Miami, Ambipar received the Green World Awards on April 24 in the Sustainability category and also in the main category called “Champions of Champions” with the Biocapsules project. “Launched in 1994, the Green World Awards is one of the most prestigious recognition campaigns in the world, and this was the first time a Brazilian company emerged as a winner. Each year, following the tradition, the Green World Awards ceremony is held in a major city of the latest winner’s country, as it was in London and Dubai. Now, the responsibility of hosting the 2024 awards is ours, it belongs to Brazil,” explains Gabriel Estevam, Head of Innovation.
The 10 awards received by the Sustainable Biocapsules Project – Transforming Waste into Trees are: (A) NY Product Design Awards; (B) 8th Water Action Awards; (C) Green World Awards in the Sustainability category 2023; (D) Green World Awards in the Champions of Champions category 2023; (E) 8th Hugo Werneck Love for Nature Award; (F) 21st Brazilian Young People Award in the Sustainability category; (G) ABRE Brazilian Packaging Award 2022; (H) 2nd Design For A Better World Award; (I) World Stars Awards; and (J) Grow Innovation Awards 2022.
