To transport materials considered as hazardous waste, including unwashable packages, those not correctly washed by farmers as well as post-consumption leftovers, the shipping process is standardized in accordance with the valid legislation.
With logistics playing a fundamental role within the System, inpEV constantly seeks to improve its efficiency in this area, by means of various actions that focus on reducing costs and optimizing processes. One of them is the constant dialog with the main haulers of the System in an attempt to comply with legislation and implement improvements in the process. Preventive actions are also taken, such as checking the vehicles prior to departure, with the support of a checklist that includes items such as documentation, tires, breaks, straps to tie down bales as well as driver conditions. As a result of all this care, in 2018 there were no logistical accidents involving trucks of the System.
One measure adopted by the Campo Limpo System to optimize the process and reduce costs that is worth highlighting is the return shipment: the same vehicle that delivers crop protection products from the manufacturer to producers, distributors and cooperatives transports the empty packages and post-consumption leftovers from the receiving units to recyclers and incinerators. Besides the environmental advantages, this type of shipping reduces costs by roughly 45%. Furthermore, it reduces the number of vehicles in transit and decreases pollutant emissions. This initiative also contributes to reduce risks, since truck drivers qualified to haul full packages are more specialized.
There are also other actions that contribute to improve logistic planning. One of them is adEV (discussed in “The Campo Limpo System” chapter), which offers farmers the possibility of scheduling the packaging return by computer. Another one is a tool called Central Offices Information System (SIC - Sistema de Informações das Centrais), which makes data available on the web regarding receipts, classification, processing, output materials, among other operational information, thus facilitating logistical planning. Finally, itinerant receiving stations allows empty packages to be received at mobile units, which allows more remote regions from fixed receiving units to participate in the Campo Limpo System, mainly those in which the amount of packaging does not justify the installation of a fixed unit.
Also with respect to logistical efficiency, it is worth mentioning that in 2018 inpEV faced an important challenge with the truck driver strike. The drivers’ stoppage throughout the country affected all companies in general, impacting volumes and margins, and mainly affected inpEV’s costs when the National Agency of Ground Transportation (ANTT - Agência Nacional de Transportes Terrestres) restated shipping values. The new price chart resulted mainly in increased shipping costs for non-hazardous products (or of non-hazardous packaging), which corresponds to about 90% of everything shipped by the Institute. Once faced with this challenge, the Institute’s Logistics area made a big management effort to mitigate these impacts - a successful endeavor that resulted in significantly reducing the impact of this event on inpEV’s costs.