On September 12, São Paulo hosted the 5th edition of the Brazilian Plastics Congress, one of the largest events in the plastics conversion industry in Brazil, supported by Think Plastic Brazil, a portfolio of solutions for the plastics transformation sector in the internationalization process for target markets, carried out through a partnership between ApexBrasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) and INP (Brazilian Plastics Institute).
Held every two years, this year’s congress, hosted for the first time in the capital of São Paulo, brought together national and international experts at Casa Bisutti to discuss the future of plastics, with the central theme being “The Plastics Paradox”. The meeting stood out for the quality of the discussions and for its innovative and hybrid nature, allowing both in-person and online participation.
Valgroup, a Think Plastic Brazil member company, played a key role in the event as an official sponsor. On the occasion, the company reinforced its commitment to sustainability and the circular economy, in addition to highlighting sustainable practices and innovative solutions that are already shaping the future of the industry.
One of the highlights of the conference was the lecture by Chris DeArmitt, PhD, one of the world’s leading experts on plastic materials and author of the book “The Plastics Paradox”, which defined the theme of the event. In yet another remarkable visit to Brazil, DeArmitt presented scientific data that shed light on the importance of plastics in modern society, highlighting their durability and functionality, always guided by sustainability.
Valgroup also stood out with a talk by Larissa D’Otaviano, Head of Sustainability, who shared the company’s main advances in sustainable innovation. Larissa presented case studies such as the first 100% recycled PET bottle in Brazil, for Guaraná Antarctica, and strategic partnerships with global brands such as Heinz and S.Pellegrino, which already use recycled PET resin in their packaging, demonstrating Valgroup’s positive impact throughout the production chain.
“Valgroup is fully aligned with the objective of Think Plastic Brazil regarding strengthening its international presence through internationalization processes. This initiative, together with the 5th Brazilian Plastics Congress, which we also support, reinforces one of the strategic axes of our portfolio, which is innovation, design and ESG. One of our main initiatives, Global Green Design, aims precisely to highlight to the plastics product conversion industry the importance of intelligence applied to concrete actions in the fields of innovation, design and sustainability. This is essential to strengthen global competitiveness, through strong governance, meeting the needs of society and caring for the planet,” says Carlos Moreira, Brazilian Plastic Institute Executive Director & Think Plastic Brazil CPO.
With a program rich in debates and lectures that explored the opportunities and challenges of plastics in the modern world, the 5th Brazilian Plastics Congress reinforced the importance of scientific and proven information for building a more sustainable future.
Valgroup’s presence at the event highlighted its ongoing commitment to sustainability, always seeking to innovate and promote the circular economy as a daily practice.
The following day, with the same theme, Valgroup clients and guests participated in the Valgroup Sustainability Workshop, with the presence and lecture by Chris DeArmitt and important speeches by the executive director, Carlo Bergamaschi, the head of Sustainability, Larissa D’Otaviano, and the Innovation manager, João Alves.
Think Plastic Brazil started its activities with 38 companies and, over the last 20 years, has expanded its participation to more than 220 companies. During this period, the Portfolio promoted 4,773 participations of companies in the industry in 240 projects specifically for Trade Promotion, resulting in 64,366 meetings. The economic impact was significant, with more than US$1.247 billion in business generated and a total investment of US$12.338 million, achieving an impressive ROI of US$101.04 for every dollar invested.
For those interested in buying from Brazil and contacting Brazilian companies associated with Think Plastic Brazil directly, please contact cristina.sacramento@dev.creativeteam.co and daniela.ornelas@dev.creativeteam.co via email or visit the website (https://dev.creativeteam.co/think/en/home-en/). Think Plastic Brazil is a non-profit, non-commissioned organization that can facilitate your direct contact with Brazilian producers.
About INP
Founded in 1989, the Brazilian Plastic Institute – INP arises amid the process of globalization and the need to make the plastic market more competitive internationally. Its strength and representativeness are the results of the union of the Brazilian Processed Plastic and Recycling Industry (ABIPLAST), the Brazilian Association of the Chemical Industry (ABIQUIM), and the Union of Synthetic Resin Industries in the State of São Paulo (SIRESP).
As a sectoral technological body, the INP’s is to be the focal point for the entire plastics production chain in Brazil. To this end, the body maintains an extensive workforce qualification program, promotes access to the most modern technologies, especially for small and medium-sized companies, and develops Technical Standards so that products with better quality be manufactured.
About ApexBrasil
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) promotes Brazilian products and services abroad and attracts foreign investments to strategic industries of the Brazilian economy. To reach its goals, ApexBrasil carries out diversified trade promotion actions aimed at promoting exports and valuing Brazilian products and services abroad, such as prospective and trade missions, business roundtables, support for the participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs, and visits by foreign buyers and influencers to learn about the Brazilian productive structure, among other business platforms that are also focused on strengthening “Brazil” as a brand.
The agency also acts in a coordinated manner with public and private actors to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil, focusing on strategic sectors for the development of the competitiveness of Brazilian companies and the country.
