Project name:
Contaminated Plastic Packaging Recycling
One-line project summary:
Contaminated Plastic Packaging Recycling without using water, without producing waste and with high C02 reduction
Present your project.
ECO PANPLAS is an innovative startup industry of contaminated plastic packaging recycling, that performs this process without using water, without producing waste and with a high C02 emissions reduction, achieving great socioenvironmental benefits and through its own technological solution, 100% Brazilian, disruptive and pioneering worldwide, solving today's major environmental problems: climate change, plastic pollution and preservation of resources, especially water resources.
Submit a video.
What specific problem are you solving?
Our solution prevents contamination of billions of liters of water. 1 billion plastic bottles of lubricating oil are discarded every year only in Brazil. What is worse, even after draining, those packages contain 2 million liters of residual oil that go into the environment. 1 liter of oil is enough to contaminate 1 million liters of water. Of all this volume, only 9% is recycled, and our competitors decontaminate these packages using water. This water has to be treated, and during the process, each liter of oil turns into up to 8 kg of hazardous waste.
With our pilot plant, we currently reach 3 million people benefited, which is the number of habitants of the metropolitan region of Campinas because we recycle the lubricating oil packaging of this region (pilot production plant location)
We have the conditions with our pilot plant to benefit 44 million people by recycling oil packaging from the state of Sao Paulo.
In 5 years, we aim to at least benefit 100 million people by recycling 45% of the lubricant oil plastic packaging concentrated in the most populous states of Brazil and other countries, further increasing the number of people benefited.
What is your project?
We have developed an innovative production system, composed of equipment and processes patented, that performs the decontamination and recycling of lubricant packaging in an ecological way: without the use of water, without waste generation, and 30% less cost than the process used by our competitors today
More than that, all residual oil is recovered and sold for the production of new oil, eliminating the environmental risk.
The result is a recycled raw material of excellent quality, that we sale for the production of new oil bottle, 100% made of our recycled plastic and with 10% cost reduction, thus creating a true circular economy.
In the last 2 years, we have done a pilot operation with scale, processing 10 million bottles, recovering and selling 500 tons of recycled plastic, including Braskem, and 17 thousand liters of recovered oil, including lwart group, generating socio-environmental impact results
That made this solution becomes recognized through relevant international and national awards, and among them, the IBD 2018 / 2019 Award, the UN Global Compact 2019 Awards , , the European Greentech Challenge 2019, Best for the World 2019, recognized among the top rated B companies in the world in 2019
Who does your project serve, and in what ways is the project impacting their lives?
Population is tired of plastic packaging and oil contamination of rivers and soils, affecting the quality of air, water supply systems and human health. Plastics and oil discarded in the open air can also pollute aquifers, bodies of water, and reservoirs, resulting in an increase in respiratory problems, heart disease, and damage to the nervous systems of people exposed to them. It affects the quality of the air, soil, and water sources. When burned or incinerated, plastic can release into the atmosphere toxic gases such as nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide, both extremely harmful to human health (WWF 2019).
Every 200 tons of plastic recycled by Eco Panplas: 7,5 billion liters of water preserved from the environment, 215 tons of contaminated plastic out of landfills, 306 tons less greenhouse gas emission, 632 waste pickers needed to collect this material, 75% energy-saving. The public knowledge is now even more emerging from the global need to combat plastic waste. Our solution is a new worldwide concept in the area of plastic recycling: without using water and without producing waste, solving today's major environmental problems: climate change, plastic pollution and preservation of resources, especially water resources.
Which dimension of The Elevate Prize does your project most closely address?
Elevating issues and their projects by building awareness and driving action to solve the most difficult problems of our worldExplain how your project relates to The Elevate Prize and your selected dimension.
The higher the volume processed by our solution, the greater the social and environmental benefits generated. Our dream and mission of life from the beginning is to leave this legacy, giving it to society through this new concept and way of recycling and circular economy, preserving the planet and people's lives. Unique technology of its kind in the world with proven viability, recognized through national and international awards, participating in international events and became a B Best Company in the World 2019 for the socio-environmental value generated and a prominent member of the United Nations Global Compact in 2019.
How did you come up with your project?
I had a previous business in the post-plastic waste recycling industry, but that didn't work, because industries are increasingly reducing and reusing their waste internally. However, with the experience and learning in this market, combined with the desire to develop a business with purpose and impact, I decided to try it again.
But, researching in Brazil and in the world in 2013, what has always existed until today is the conventional model of plastic recycling: grinding of plastic waste, washing with water and detergent, transformation into recycled raw material in order to manufacture of new products. So, at that time, I went to a manufacturer to buy a water washing production line for plastic recycling and, at the second meeting to close the deal, it was when he was presented with the idea, that it would become an innovation project that would give originated Eco Panplas in 2014, with the objective of initially solving problems in the lubricating oil packaging recycling chain and being a new global concept in the area of plastic recycling: without using water and without producing waste, solving the great environmental problems of topicality: climate change, plastic pollution and preservation of resources, especially water resources.
Why are you passionate about your project?
For it significant and scale socio-environmental impact !
Eco Panplas was founded in 2014, with the objective of initially solving problems in the lubricating oil packaging recycling chain and being a new global concept in the area of plastic recycling: without using water and without producing waste, solving the great environmental problems of topicality: climate change, plastic pollution and preservation of resources, especially water resources.
The technology was developed in Brazil by Eco Panplas over a period of three years, when it reached economic, environmental, financial and technical feasibility. After that, in the last two years, Eco Panplas conducted a pilot production operation on a production scale at its headquarters and production plant located in Hortolândia - SP, resulting in significant socio-environmental benefits and, for this reason, was recognized through national and international awards, participated in international events and became a B Best Company in the World 2019 for the socio-environmental value generated and a prominent member of the United Nations Global Compact in 2019.
Why are you well-positioned to deliver this project?
Experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in consumer goods multinational companies and in the environmental services industry. Skilled in Negotiation, Business Planning, Management, Leadership, Business Intelligence, and Business Development. Strong business development professional graduated from FACAMP - Faculdades de Campinas.
I need to talk about my team. We could not have a better team, multidisciplinary, experienced and with much affinity and empathy between us. The corporate proposal demonstrates the coherence of the
team's profile with the values of its members, which from the beginning and naturally was demonstrated and built by the attitudes of transparency, honesty, respect, consolidating a relationship of solidarity and cooperation that made us resiliently overcome all the challenges and obstacles, from the development of an innovative technology that started with 03
processes and ended with 09.
I Felipe, CEO & Founder, and Gustavo take care of Management, with a high qualified experience in the Plastic Industry. Fabian, our chemical engineer and Evando, our mechanical engineer manage the technical area. Fabian, a process chemical engineer, has been a manufacturer of environmental solution equipment and water treatment plants for 15 years. Evandro, a mechanical engineer responsible for equipment, has been a manufacturer of
recycling equipment for over 30 years.Gustavo, administrator, responsible for the commercial area, has been working in the plastics industry for 30 years. I'm responsible for management and logistics, second company in the area of Plastic.
Provide an example of your ability to overcome adversity.
The technology was developed in Brazil by Eco Panplas over a period of three years, when it reached economic, environmental, financial and technical feasibility. Technical challenges and obstacles, to separate all the inputs such as oil, plastic and label, and reach a high quality recycled plastic raw material that started with 03 processes and ended with 09 chemical, mechanical and physical processes in 3 years.
Describe a past experience that demonstrates your leadership ability.
Eco Panplas Society Story: I invited Evandro and Fabian to participate as patent owners with a equity in the company, instead of just buying their idea and building the equipment as they proposed, founding Eco Panplas, with this project titled since its inception. “Champion Project”, coincidence or providence, my intention has always been to divide and multiply!
How long have you been working on your project?
6 years
Where are you headquartered?
Hortolândia, SP, BrasilWhat type of organization is your project?
For-profit, including B-Corp or similar modelsIf you have additional video content that explains your project, provide a YouTube or Vimeo link here:
Describe what makes your project innovative.
Because it generates environmental, economic and social value in the plastic recycling chain. It does not use water, it does not generate waste, it does not generate contaminated effluent (today 80% of the effluents are discharged into the environment without any type of treatment), it recovers all the contaminating oil that turns into byproduct, efficient recycling that allows the plastic valorization the plastic that returns to be packaging and because of this valuation, we can pay a higher value to the waste pickers.
Own Innovative Technology; no use of water in the decontamination, no wastes or effluents generated, ground plastic fully clean (higher quality), contaminant recovery that becomes a byproduct (zero environmental risk), Hazardous Waste transformed into Non-Hazardous Waste (report NBR 10.004), Rating, recovery and traceability of all inputs (plastic, oil, label), the plastic becomes packaging again, and benefits with Social-Environmental impact are generated.
It's a green patent. We obtained in 3 years, because it was framed as a green patent for being a clean technology and had its analysis priority.
What is your theory of change?
We believe that we need to recycle more and find ways to use less water in the process. Therefore, we seek to be a reference in leadership, innovation and value creation for plastic recycling worldwide. And we are already doing this through the positive impact results achieved. Our proposal is to leave a legacy to the world through this new concept of recycling, thus increasing the volume, we will increase the social and environmental benefits generated. Having units of this technological solution, with high production capacity, installed in containers, taking up little space and allowing to approach large volumes and facilitating all logistics and scalability, in all places in the world.
Next 5 years: We are able to expand this solution through units installed in containers, facilitating logistics and scalability. Expansion in southeastern, southern and northeastern Brazil to reach 45% of the lubricant packaging market, with 20 technology units in 3 major factories processing a total of 24,000 tons, generating revenues of $ 30 million, and social and environmental benefits generated so far and per year: 915 billion liters of environmentally preserved water, 27,000 tons of contaminated plastic out of landfills, 38,000 tons less greenhouse gas emissions, 78,000 waste pickers needed to collect this volume, and also in other countries of the world. Latin America. For this we need fundraising through investor partner (smart money) and / or green fund for new larger plants / exploration technology (other types of packaging / countries).
We aim to at least benefit 100 million people by recycling 45% of the lubricant oil plastic packaging concentrated in the most populous states of Brazil and other countries, further increasing the number of people benefited.
Select the key characteristics of the community you are impacting.
Which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals does your project address?
In which countries do you currently operate?
In which countries will you be operating within the next year?
How many people does your project currently serve? How many will it serve in one year? In five years?
With our pilot plant, we currently reach 3 million people benefited, which is the number of habitants of the metropolitan region of Campinas because we recycle the lubricating oil packaging of this region (pilot production plant location).
One year from now, with the conditions we have with our pilot plant, we intend to benefit 44 million people by recycling oil packaging from the state of Sao Paulo.
In 5 years, we aim to at least benefit 100 million people by recycling 45% of the lubricant oil plastic packaging concentrated in the most populous states of Brazil and other countries, further increasing the number of people benefited.
What are your goals within the next year and within the next five years?
Next Year : expansion of our pilot production unit in Hortolandia City - Sao Paulo State - Brazil. At the same location, we have one technology unit that currently processes 1,440 tons of recycled plastic per year, generating annual revenues of $ 1.9 million and 3x more social and environmental benefits generated so far per year compared eith te pilot operation: 54 billion liters of water preserved from the environment, 1,500 tonnes of contaminated plastic out of landfills, 2,200 tonnes less greenhouse gas emissions, 4,550 waste pickers needed to collect this volume of material. For this we need fundraising through investor partner (smart Money) and / or green fund for verticalization pilot plant (working capital / granulation).
Next 5 years: We are able to expand this solution through units installed in containers, facilitating logistics and scalability. Expansion in southeastern, southern and northeastern Brazil to reach 45% of the lubricant packaging market, with 20 technology units in 3 major factories processing a total of 24,000 tons, generating revenues of $ 30 million, and social and environmental benefits generated so far and per year: 915 billion liters of environmentally preserved water, 27,000 tons of contaminated plastic out of landfills, 38,000 tons less greenhouse gas emissions, 78,000 waste pickers needed to collect this volume, and also in other countries of the world. Latin America. For this we need fundraising through investor partner (smart money) and / or green fund for new larger plants / exploration technology (other types of packaging / countries).
What barriers currently exist for you to accomplish your goals in the next year and in the next five years?
They are only financial. We need capital to be able to grow and expand the solution by implementing more units to increase capacity. .
How do you plan to overcome these barriers?
Seek fundraising through investing partner (smart Money) and / or green fund for new larger plants / technology exploration (other types of packaging / countries).
We believe that we have, at this moment, a disruptive and impactful business, which brings a new recycling concept with disruptive technology to preserve water in the environment and in the production process, with valorization of recycled plastic, very well validated and recognized by the market, with great return from a financial point of view to attract investment, with low risk, and many possibilities for exploring technology for other materials and countries in the world.
What organizations do you currently partner with, if any? How are you working with them?
All our current and increased production of decontaminated ground plastic is sold to the largest recycler in Brazil, for a higher price on the market, showing the appreciation of plastic.
And we have a contract already negotiated with a defined price with the largest plastic packaging industry in Brazil for the purchase of all our production of recycled raw material (recycled resin).
Our plastic is part of the WeCycle platform, from Braskem, the largest manufacturer of virgin resin in the world, and which is launching a line of recycled resin with our product. We are Braskem's suppliers.
Ambev, Cargill and Natura are testing the recycling of their packaging with our system.
What is your business model?
We buy the packaging from environmental companies that collect at gas stations, workshops and dealers, we carry out our process, and we sell the oil to the refining industry and the recycled plastic raw material to the Packaging Industry, which can manufacture a new oil packaging without using virgin material with 10% cost reduction, realizing a true circular economy.
What is your path to financial sustainability?
With the sale of the recycled plastic raw material and the recovered oil. Revenue from sales of recycled raw material for $ 1.25 / kg, in a volume of 500 tons over the last 2 years = USD 625. Just 2 years in pilot operation with a technology unit, processing 500 tons and revenues of USD 625,000. We are able to expand this solution through units installed in containers, facilitating logistics and scalability, with a production capacity of 1,440 tons per unit per year, generating revenues of $ 1.9 million, and with investments we can grow 40X only in Brazil and only for lubricant oil packaging. Our solution can be used for all the types of rigid plastics, for example other types of packaging, or plastic parts contaminated with vegetable oil, paints, chemicals, and in which the contaminant can be recovered or transformed into a byproduct.
It needs an initial investment for working capital and more units, with a return of less than 1.5 years. Since then the own business pays, it maintains and generates profit with margin of 28% through the sale of recycled plastic raw material of excellent quality and the recovered oil.
If you have raised funds for your project or are generating revenue, please provide details.
Revenue from the sale of recycled raw materials for $ 1.25 / kg, in a volume of 500 tons in the last 3 years = USD 625
What are your estimated expenses for 2020?
(-) Purchase Raw Material $ 603,750 33.4%
(-) Packaging $ 525,000 29.0%
(-) Breakdown (15%) $ 78,750 4.4%
(-) Productive Costs $ 441,000 24.4%
(-) Grinding / Decontamination $ 175,000 9.7%
(-) Granulation $ 210,000 11.6%
(-) Big Bag $ 3,500 0.2%
(-) Decanting $ 52,500 2.9%
(-) Fixed costs $ 88,224 4.9%
(-) Rent $ 29,697 1.6%
(-) IPTU $ 1,039 0.1%
(-) 1 coordinator 1 assistant $ 45,000 2.5%
(-) Water $ 75 0.0%
(-) Telephone $ 531 0.0%
(-) Internet $ 240 0.0%
(-) Cleaning + Cleaning Products $ 900 0.0%
(-) Accounting $ 2,121 0.1%
(-) Bank Rate $ 180 0.0%
(-) Car Insurance $ 1,350 0.1%
(-) Building Insurance $ 2,256 0.1%
(-) Licenses $ 455 0.0%
(-) Maintenance $ 1,374 0.1%
(-) Gas Forklift $ 1,035 0.1%
(-) Union $ 90 0.0%
(-) Fire extinguishers $ 72 0.0%
(-) Admission Exams + Epis + Cest $ 768 0.0%
(-) Gasoline $ 801 0.0%
(-) Certificate / Accommodation $ 240 0.0%
(-) Taxes $ 162,094 9.0%
(-) IR (15%) $ 101,309 5.6%
(-) CSLL (9%) $ 60,785 3.4%
Why are you applying for The Elevate Prize?
International visibility and contact with potential investing partners and the plan for this expansion. The cash prize and financing will also help to increase the volume and consolidation of the pilot plant, thus increasing the socio-environmental benefits generated and the growth of the solution.
The larger the business, the higher the volume processed, the greater the social and environmental benefits generated. Our dream and mission of life from the beginning is to leave this legacy, giving it to society through
this new concept and way of recycling and circular economy, preserving the planet and people's lives.
In which of the following areas do you most need partners or support?
What organizations would you like to partner with, and how would you like to partner with them?
We would like to partner with major multinational plastic packaging manufacturers and / or consumer goods companies, such as AB Inbev, Unilever, Castrol, Shell, Petronas, Cosan, Cargill, who need to do reverse logistics and recycle their plastic packaging. Another possibility is also with petrochemicals, we already have Braskem as a partner but other petrochemical options that want to be investing partners to have this solution in the portfolio so that the image of the plastic is not affected as it is today, without losing the market. This solution is a great ally in the face of the global need to combat plastic waste as it can be applied to other types of plastic waste. The first step is reduction, but petrochemicals have announced an increase in production by 10x by 2050. Recycling becomes the best solution for petrochemical companies to maintain the market, but it must be recycling without generating pollution due to the water crisis and the environmental issue itself. China has stopped receiving waste and more than 180 underdeveloped countries have signed an agreement that restricts the sending of waste, given the lack of sustainable recycling technologies available.
Please explain in more detail here.
From the beginning of our project, we were very lucky and we were very open to competent people who added and helped us in our solution. Nobody does anything alone, it is necessary to divide to multiply and have people with the same spirit and purpose to generate impact through business. We are a lean startup, and partnerships are always welcome in several areas to sustainably and quickly accelerate the company's growth and, consequently, the socioenvironmental benefits of impact generated.
Solution Team
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Felipe Cardoso Eco Panplas
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Your bio:
I'm CEO & Founder of Eco Panplas. I worked for multinational companies and I had a previous business in the post-plastic waste recycling industry for almost 3 years, but that didn't work, because industries are increasingly reducing and reusing their waste internally. However, with the experience and learning in this market, combined with the desire to develop a business with purpose and impact, I decided to try it again. My dream and life mission from the beginning is to leave this legacy, giving society this new concept and form of recycling and circular economy, preserving the life of the planet and people. So I became an entrepreneur focused on business with the purpose of generating social and environmental impact in order to contribute to a better world, no matter the obstacles and the time I will have to be resilient, leaving even my personal individual issues in the background.