Innovation is part of inpEV’s day-to-day life since the beginning of its activities, when it designed a unique reverse logistics system for empty crop protection packaging in Brazil.

To innovate means to define strategies and improve processes to gain efficiency and expand the coverage of the Campo Limpo System. One example of this are the itinerant collection units, considered strategic for the operation of the System. In 2017, the SCL conducted 4,900 itinerant collection actions, which approached farmers with difficulties to return the empty packages to receiving units or outposts. This initiative is one way to service the various cities where the construction of a physical unit is not feasible.

For this, the association organizing the itinerant receiving units promotes communication campaigns intended to notify farmers that this activity is being conducted in their region.

To increase the capillarity of the System is one of inpEV’s concerns, which has been studying other forms of receipt. Examples of how the Institute has sought to innovate in its operations are described below.

Receiving

Unit of the Future Project

In 2016, inpEV signed a partnership with Enactus Brasil to think about the challenges of forthcoming years, in a mid- to long-term horizon, with the purpose of seeking innovation and increasing safety and complying with environmental issues. In 2017, the “Receiving Unit of the Future” project was analyzed by eight university teams of Enactus Brasil, challenged to deliver a proposal for an innovative empty packaging receiving unit, within the established standards.

The EEL/USP (Lorena School of Engineering-SP) and UFES Alegre (Espírito Santo Federal University – Alegre-ES campus) students stood out when presenting relevant contributions and received a prize during the National Enactus Brasil 2017 Event in the city of Rio de Janeiro in the month of July.

Enactus Brasil

A non-profit organization that seeks to encourage university students to develop projects to improve the quality and the standard of living of communities while at the same time improving their skills to become leaders of the future, with a responsible business vision. It is present in 36 countries and has over 70,500 university students and teachers in more than 1,700 university campuses around the world.

Innovation

in compacting

In 2017, inpEV completed the implementation of a double press at the Rondonópolis, MS, receiving unit. The purpose for developing this equipment was to optimize the process carried out by various presses in order to execute operations with increased speed, reduced costs and less manpower.

The implementation began in 2016 and was completed on schedule. The Rondonópolis unit was chosen as a pilot. In 2018, inpEV will continue to work on improving machinery operations.

inpEV

Knowledge Portal

inpEV has developed, with its launch scheduled for early 2018, the inpEV Knowledge Portal. In 2017, interviews were held with key managers, and existing videos and materials were analyzed to create this new tool.

In this way, inpEV is creating a way to record, organize, make available, and consult in a structured manner its acquired knowledge to support decision making and the continued good practices adopted by the organization. It will also be a way of storing information about reverse logistics developments in Brazil.