O-I glass circularity initiative scales recycling infrastructure in Brazilian soccer stadiums

27 Mar 2024 --- Glass packaging innovator Owens-Illinois Glass (O-I) Brazil provides a progress update about its latest partnership to increase glass recycling around soccer games, “Recycle and Make a Goal,” which aims to reduce waste and lower manufacturing emissions in its home market.

O-I Brazil teamed up with São Paulo’s Municipal Department of Urban Cleaning, the start-up Grupo Seiva and a local work cooperative team to collect more than 8,000 glass bottles for recycling.

The Recycle and Make a Goal project kicked off in São Paulo around the Morumbi Stadium during the January game between São Paulo FC and Santo André, which marked the opening of the São Paulo Football Championship.

“This is the second initiative of a project focused on cullet collection around the Morumbi Stadium,” says O-I Brazil’s manager of Circular Economy, Alexandre Macário. “Despite the heavy rain during the event, we managed to gather more than a ton of glass packaging. We are working to make this project permanent in São Paulo’s stadiums.”

Macário says future plans include implementing the project in cities where O-I has factories, which will help facilitate project logistics.

O-I operates glass manufacturing plants in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife and Vitória de Santo Antão.

The Seiva Group installed glass crushing machines at four different collection points near Morumbi Stadium.Scaling circular facilities at stadiums
The Seiva Group installed crushing machines at four different collection points near Morumbi Stadium to facilitate easy disposal of glass packaging. Fans were encouraged to deposit their glass at the available collection points, and the work cooperative team helped gather materials.

All of the recycled glass, called cullet, has been sent to O-I to be manufactured into new glass packaging.

“During the opening game between São Paulo and Santo André, the number of glass bottles removed from the street was so high we scored another great goal around the Morumbi Stadium,” says Teresa Eloá de Souza Martins of São Paulo’s Recycling Cooperative.

“We were also able to educate the public who approached us to learn a little about our work.”

Closing the loop on glass
For every one ton of recycled glass used in the manufacturing process, O-I states that “more than one ton” of raw materials is saved.

Additionally, for every 10% of recycled glass used in the manufacturing process, energy consumption is reduced by about 3% and carbon emissions by 5%, states the packaging specialist.

Among O-I’s corporate sustainability goals is incorporating an average of 50% cullet, or recycled glass, in its packages “globally by 2030.” “Recycled glass isn’t always readily available, so O-I is getting creative to build glass recycling programs,” states the company.

O-I’s team in Brazil launched two partnerships last year with the civil society organization Recicleiros Institute and Orizon, one of the country’s largest private landfill companies.

In global activities, O-I invested €95 million (US$103 million) in two of its French glass packaging production facilities. The investments aim to upgrade the sustainability, flexibility and productivity of the company’s operations in Gironcourt-sur-Vraine and Reims.

Edited by Benjamin Ferrer

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