Valgroup, one of the world's largest producers and recyclers of of plastic packaging in the world, invests in Deink Brasil.

National company strengthens its innovation DNA with the purpose of recycling 100% of plastic material, in relation to the volume produced, by 2040.

Latin America’s largest producer of plastic packaging and one of the largest plastics recyclers in the world, Valgroup, a Brazilian company with operations in four other countries (Spain, USA, Mexico and Uruguay), invests in Deink Brazil with the objective to include products which today are landfilled in the mechanical recycling chain, thereby enlarging the circular economy by thousands of products.

Deink Brasil’s unique ink removal process, called deinking, allows the total removal of inks from printed plastic waste, bringing significant changes to the global recycling market. The technology used by Deink, already patented in 21 countries, results in materials with characteristics similar to those of virgin plastic.

Aside from contributing to the recycling of plastics, this technology uses the “closed circuit” system for water recovery, without the use of solvents or chemicals that can harm the environment.

“Currently, printed plastic packaging is not valuable in the market for being difficult to recycle. With Deink’s new technology, which cleans the ink from plastic packaging, it will be possible to add value to the material,” explains the director of Institutional Relations and Compliance, Eduardo Berkovitz.

With a total production capacity of 800 thousand tons of plastic packaging per year and a recycling capacity of 130 thousand tons/year, the Brazilian company has just completed 46 years and it is among the pioneers in adopting innovative technologies, processes and solutions focused on sustainability, in line with the ESG concept (Environment, Social and Governance, in Portuguese).

The company’s recycling capacity will initially increase by 4 thousand tons per year with the de-inking process. The goal is to accelerate the construction of new Deink plants throughout Brazil, as well as and to foster the development of new technologies. “Deink Brazil’s technology adds value to Valgroup, because it has a very important, positive impact from an environmental and social point of view,” says Berkovitz.

The initiative will also provide extra income to waste collectors, who will have the option to receive printed plastic. It is estimated that printed plastic packaging will have a 50% increase in value. “Our purpose is to promote sustainability and the circularity of plastic through innovation and technology, bringing waste that was previously discarded, back to the production cycle. The integration of Valgroup with its renowned expertise in recycling and sustainable innovation, will enable us even more, as well as provide the necessary scalability to make Deink Brasil a leader in the sector” says Marcelo Mason, Head of Sustainability at Deink Brasil.

With Deink technology, Valgroup will reinforce its position of leadership in the plastic packaging market in the Americas through sustainable innovations. The company, a global reference in recycling plastic packaging, has also sealed, at the end of 2021, a power purchase agreement with Casa dos Ventos, a leader in the development of wind power projects in Brazil, for the production of 25 MWm as of 2023, which represents 50% of the energy consumption of its companies.

With 36 factories in five countries and more than 5,000 employees, Valgroup recycles 16% of everything it produces.

Currently, it recycles around 100,000 tons per year, the equivalent to 4.8 billion post-consumption PET bottles worldwide and 30 thousand tons of polyethylene (flexible packaging).

Signatory to the Global Pact and the United Nations (UN) Plastic Pollution Treaty, Valgroup projects an increase in plastic material recycling to 25%, in relation to its produced volume, by 2025, and 50% by 2030, reaching 100% recycling in 2040.

About Valgroup

Valgroup is the largest plastic processing and recycler in Latin America, with 36 units located in 5 countries. The company has a broad portfolio of solutions in flexible and rigid packaging, recycled resins and additives, as well as a platform of sustainable innovations that offer, among other solutions, improved biodegradability, recycled content and renewable raw material. Its history is based on the principles of sustainable economic development, which has come about through investments in constant innovation, efficient circular economy for plastics, value of renewable natural resources, and incentives to social projects. Valgroup is a signatory to the Global Commitment to the New Plastics Economy – Ellen MacArthur Foundation and has joined the UN Global Compact, acting in a manner aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

About Deink Brazil

Deink Brasil is an industry 4.0 focused on innovation and technology in plastics recycling. Plastic is a vital material for the prosperity of human beings due to its various applications in everyday life, however, we also understand that the improper disposal of, and a lack of appreciation for the value of plastic waste, generate a significant social and environmental impact. Deink Brasil has developed an innovative recycling technology that allows the total removal of inks from printed plastic waste, whether from post-industrial or post-consumer origin. After this process, we generate our raw material free of printing, allowing the reverse logistics of thousands of products.