Recycling in Brazil: Gaia BioMaterials highlights infrastructure challenges and compostable solutions

Brazil’s land area poses logistical challenges for efficient and uniform country-wide plastic recycling infrastructure, according to Dr. Mércia Fernandes, commercial representative for Brazil at plastic fabrication company Gaia BioMaterials.

Fernandes highlights the absence of waste collection and treatment policies as the main challenges to plastic circularity. Meanwhile, fluctuation in virgin resin prices often makes it the more economically attractive option, further discouraging the growth of plastic recycling.

“Despite being the fourth-largest producer of plastics globally, Brazil is also the fifth-largest country by land area, spanning 8 million square km². This vast geography poses a significant logistical challenge in establishing an efficient and sustainable recycling infrastructure,” Fernandes tells Packaging Insights.

“Moreover, the lack of public policies and tax incentives hinders the implementation of efficient plastic waste collection and treatment systems at the municipal and state levels. Low investments in new technologies and the scarcity of recycling facilities add to this challenge, making the situation even more complex.”

To meet these plastic recycling challenges, regional demand for alternatives is growing. As a result, Gaia BioMaterials has appointed MFI Polymers as its commercial representative in Brazil to meet this demand. 

Gaia BioMaterials is a Sweden-based plastic fabrication company that invented Biodolomer, a limestone-based alternative to plastic that is compostable and microplastic-free. 

MFI Polymers, led by Fernandes, aims to promote Gaia’s compostable material in the Brazilian market, which has an increasing demand for plastic alternatives. 

Recycling systems 

Brazil’s demand for compostable packing is rooted in the challenge to reduce single-use plastic and waste. The Brazilian Government implemented the National Solid Waste Plan in 2022 to establish goals and systems for solid waste management in Brazil over the next 20 years. In another law, the government also created credit certificates to increase private investment in recycling. 

These regulations aim to strengthen Brazil’s solid waste regulatory framework, presenting various opportunities for technology and investment to improve plastic waste management.

However, according to Fernandes, the current market has many products that are said to be sustainable but lack inaccurate information or comprehension of key environmental concepts despite the apparent need to curb plastic pollution.  

A WWF Brazil and Oceana study concluded that eliminating disposable plastic items could generate R$6 billion (US$1 million) in market value and prevent the emission of 18 million tons of CO2 — drastically reducing environmental pollution while strengthening the country’s economy. 

Plastic alternatives 

The demand for plastic alternatives in Brazil is growing, and MFI Polymers aims to capitalize on the need for sustainable materials amid increasing innovation in the search for plastic alternatives. 

“Over the past decade, the rise in environmental awareness and the growing concern over microplastics have driven the search for sustainable alternatives. This shift in collective consciousness, reinforced by the media, has accelerated innovation in the plastics sector — though not as swiftly as the planet demands,” says Fernandes. 

“Various solutions have emerged in the market, aiming to reduce the environmental impact caused by plastics. However, these solutions are often complex to understand, raising many questions about how they truly work, what they mean, and what they can offer.”

MFI Polymers Biodolomer aims to provide a solution for plastic materials, which Fernandes suggests the flexible packaging industry is most likely to adopt. This is particularly relevant in agricultural, technical, and beverage sectors, such as for straws and cups.

Compostable packaging 

Brazil is among the world’s largest producers of plastic waste.Brazil’s demand for compostable packing is rooted in the global challenge to reduce single-use plastic pollutants, explains Fernandes. Moreover, the government and public opinion are increasingly pressuring multinational companies operating in Brazil to align with sustainability targets on a local level. 

Fernandes explains: “Brazil is among the world’s largest producers of plastic waste, generating approximately 11 million tons of plastic resins, with a recycling rate of around 25%. This means that most of what we produce is improperly discarded, ending up in landfills or the environment instead of correctly recycled.”  

“Therefore, biodegradable and compostable resins that do not generate microplastics, such as Biodolomer, are of great interest. Biodolomer enriches soil during decomposition and actively contributes to environmental solutions.”

She further indicates that Biodolmer also boasts high technical performance and maintains mechanical properties similar to fossil-based resins.  

In a similar development last year, W-Cycle and Melhoramentos Latin America partnered to produce compostable food-grade packaging from renewable materials that naturally decompose within 100 days. The agreement is valued at a minimum of US$3.45 million and set for an initial term of three years.