Brazil generated more than 2 million tons of electronic waste in 2019, ranking 4th in the world (today, it is 5th in the ranking) and first in Latin America, and of this amount, 99% was incorrectly disposed of. . Thinking about reversing this scenario, Intel in partnership with Circular Brain – a company that develops solutions for the circular economy, created an online platform where consumers can perform the correct environmental disposal of their old computer, while receiving special discounts when purchasing a new product.
The figures above are from a study by the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP) released in 2020, which also points out that the disposal of electronic waste grew 21% worldwide, in the last five years until 2019. In the same year, 53.6 million tons were generated, with 17.4% of products disposed of correctly in formal management or recycling facilities. As a result, approximately 15 million tons of carbon dioxide were not released into the environment.
With the project, Intel and Circular Brain intend to help increase this percentage of properly disposed e-waste, as stated by Giovana Gaiolli, Marketing Manager at Intel Brazil:
how the project works
The project consists of a website where consumers can enter and fill out a registration form with personal information and information about the PC they own and want to discard. In this first phase of the action, desktop computers, notebooks and all-in-one computers of any brand, processor and configuration will be accepted for disposal. The idea is that, in the future, other electronic items can also participate in the program.
Once the product is registered, the site will return with the maximum discount already applied to the product options available for purchase. “The value of the discount will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, depending on the quality of the machine. Even if the PC discarded by the consumer is broken or inactive, it will still be used by the project, since the idea is precisely to increase the amount of discard correct electronics”, explains Giovana Gaiolli.
After registering, just take the old PC to one of the more than 11,000 project delivery points spread across Brazil. Part of these delivery locations are the Kangu post office and collection, neighborhood commercial establishments trained and prepared to receive and deliver packages. They work as local hubs, which reduce distances and allow deliveries and collections of goods to be carried out with vehicles suited to the neighborhoods, with low idleness. In exchange for the points, a value is offered per order, generating extra income for merchants and a greater flow of people from the neighborhood attending your establishment.
From an environmental point of view, the system of pick-up points generates less impact by reducing CO2 emissions and the number of vehicles en route, reducing levels of traffic and noise pollution related to transport. Smart routes, added to the concentration of delivery at the points, provide fewer trips, therefore, less carbon. Drivers also benefit, as the time they spend on route also decreases.
When the person registers their zip code, options will appear for the 5 places closest to the address to take their electronic product, which can be commercial establishments or even post offices.
The Recicla PC technology platform guarantees that used computers will have an environmentally correct destination, as they will be sent to regulated recyclers. These recyclers will carry out the reconditioning process and check the possibilities for repairing and reselling the machine, reusing PC parts or recycling the items.
The logistics in national territory and the possibility of traceability of the entire product path make the project an unprecedented model in Brazil. “The main differentials are being as close as possible to the customer and the return process being simple as it is in other e-commerce platforms. The project will be present in all states and municipalities of the country and will bring together the best options from different brands and stores “, says Fernando Perfeito, Circular Brain’s CGO.
The goal is for the program to help reach a volume of 20,000 pieces of equipment sent for correct disposal in the first year of the site, which counts on major brands and retailers to provide products with special discounts for those who return their old one. Among the brands supported and present on the platform are: Samsung, Avell and Fujioka.
Entitled “Recicla PC”, the project is available all over Brazil and, to know, just access:.