Procedure for economic analysis of projects for selective collection of used PET bottles

Abstract

PET bottles permit practical solutions for storage and consumption of foods and beverages. However, the empty bottles after consumption, without adequate disposal, have serious negative environmental impacts. Indeed, among packaging materials, PET is considered one of the main causes of pollution, besides reducing the useful life of sanitary landfills and causing waste of raw materials and energy. Reverse logistics is a sustainable solution, by reinserting the material in the life cycle. This article reports the development of a procedure for economic analysis to assess whether it is attractive for scavenger cooperatives to participate in a project for selective collection of used PET bottles, in two scenarios: collection with municipal public schools functioning as voluntary delivery points, and as incentivized exchange points (in return for a reward to the schools). The specific objectives are to define the schools and cooperatives, estimate the potential revenue from collection, and estimate the collection costs and general overhead of cooperative. The procedure was applied to evaluate a used PET bottle selective collection project in the municipality of Volta Redonda, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. The results indicate that the project is economically viable and attractive to the cooperative investigated. The project is also beneficial to the city’s public schools when functioning as incentivized exchanger points, by generating revenue to sponsor educational activities