Pimp My Carroça and Grow: the sustainability of reverse logistics
Pimp My Carroça Team | Manuela Colombo | Fabio Reis
Pimp My Carroça acts, since the year of 2012, in the recognition and fair remuneration of street collectors of recyclable materials. Given that 90% of what is recycled in Brazil comes from collectors, the direct consequence is a significant increase in recycling and therefore the preservation of the environment.
Grow Mobility, holding of the brands Grin and Yellow, with its innovative DNA of sustainable mobility, goes far beyond offering an alternative of urban mobility through its scooters and bicycles, also implementing throughout its business cycle, practices that minimize the impact on the environment and promote social inclusion, through projects that involve the reuse and correct disposal of parts, as well as income generation for people in vulnerable situations.
The strong synergy between Grow and Pimp My Carroça brought the organizations together in the search for solutions that also promote social inclusion for the street collectors like the project “Chargers Collectors”, as well as the Reverse Logistics study, which analyzed Yellow scooters and bicycles, and Grin scooters.
The evaluation by the Pimp team took place between March 25 and May 31, 2019 and aimed to study and propose improvements in the life cycle of the Grin and Yellow scooters and the Yellow bike. Among the main items contemplated in the study, the highlight was how the equipment should be collected as well as its dismantling, the reuse of the parts and the correct disposal of damaged parts.
According to the analysis made by the team from Pimp My Carroça, the process of collection and separation of damaged products is well structured by Grow and works well. The company’s network of collectors and outsourcers is efficient in taking the scooters, damaged or not, to the sheds where trained professionals do the sorting of the vehicles (recharge, repair, or destination).
The scooters that are damaged and destined for repair are sent to Grow’s mechanicals workshops, where they undergo another sorting process, having as possible destinations the simple repair, the disassembly and reutilization of the pieces and, finally, the final discard.
According to Grow Mobility managers, the scooters from both Grin and Yellow are resistant, resulting in extremely low volume of parts that need to be discarded. When damaged, most parts can be repaired and reused. Despite the increasing number of scooters on the streets, there has not yet been the necessity to send parts for recycling.
Regarding the disposal of the pieces that can no longer be used and the material generated by the package, goes through a partner with legal qualification for waste management. That way the waste that must be discarded can be centralized, and the partner is responsible for coordinating the transfer and withdrawal with the local cooperatives, and furthermore, issue certificates, attesting to the correct disposal of the waste and the social impact actions implemented throughout the process.
There is also the alternative of direct agreement with the local cooperatives. At this time, the collection and sorting process of the scooters is well structured and advancing, however, it is advisable to include partners who can assist in the correct destination of the waste and that can incorporate in the process other projects that can generate a positive social impact in the vulnerable communities where Grow is inserted.
The company has already defined a reverse logistics policy that is still under development and furthermore, has established partnerships with the main companies in the sector to properly dispose of waste, reform and reuse batteries, as well as promote the implementation of necessary actions to ensure sustainability at all stages of the process, from sheds to offices.
With regard to bicycles, the collection and sorting processes are well structured and operating well. At this time, there is no need to develop new channels, mechanical workshops or storage sheds.
There are opportunities for partnerships to centralize the waste that must be discarded, coordinating the transfer and withdrawal with recycling organizations, issuing certificates and stamps, certifying the correct disposal of waste and maintaining social impact actions implemented throughout the process. There are waste management projects that have a very positive impact on communities, with the potential to act directly on public health and income generation.
