ABIPLA: discussing regulations linked to solid waste management

Published by SprintMaster.co on behalf of the sprint master Renato Endo

How to engage members to adopt a national regulatory framework for solid waste management

The Brazilian Association of Manufacturers of Cleaning and Related Products (ABIPLA), a national trade organization, has represented the cleaning and related product sectors (domestic, professional, and institutional) for the past 35 years.

ABIPLA’s purpose is to explore and propose viable alternative techniques to serve the needs of the industry, guaranteeing efficiency and safety in products offered to consumers. Therefore, ABIPLA has been an important communication channel along with relevant government authorities.

Adapting to changes

Organizations that are linked to government’s law dynamics need to adapt constantly to the recurring changes, adaptations, and new regulatory actions. ABIPLA is not an exception.

Solid waste management is in the center of most debates regarding big cities and environmental issues. Part of ABIPLA’s actions include finding the best solutions to manage this waste. They are currently focusing on creating a national regulatory framework based not only on the approved laws, but also the laws that are still under discussion. Our job was to study possible solutions so that all members could engage with the current laws.

Regulations and competitive advantages

One of the main objectives to get all members aligned was to make sure that regulatory laws were clear and understood by each company. Our team discovered that although these companies cared about the regulations, most did not understand the requirements and obligations of solid waste management law. Solutions needed to consider clear communication and ways to create the habit of recycling this kind of waste. Other discoveries highlighted the fact that companies were ignoring the competitive advantage gained from adopting these kinds of regulations.

Reverse logistics

The proper integration of the entire lifecycle of these materials can generate new opportunities to reduce waste and encourage companies to reuse waste. Our designed solution created a new model based on reverse logistics through plastic drums and other solutions for reusing and recycling.

Insights

• Members are concerned about law regulations, but the law’s descriptions and obligations weren’t as clear as the fees are.
• Members had a bias regarding storing recyclable packaging after use.
• Members were not analyzing competitive advantages, only current problems.