Among all the environmental obligations of the Brazilian corporate sector, one stands out as the responsibility to guarantee that products thrown away by consumers are recycled. This process is called reverse logistics and not only is it a duty for manufacturers but also a responsibility for importers, distributors and retailers. Currently, in Brazil, some categories of products – such as packages of agrochemicals, lubricant oils and light bulbs – have a reverse logistics chain already well-developed as they rely on sectorial agreements or regulations with clear practical rules. Nonetheless, the chain of reverse logistics for other types of products, such as pharmaceuticals and their packaging, is still undergoing discussion. According to our partner, Fabrício Soler, one of the main challenges for the functioning and the amplification of reverse logistics in Brazil is the absence of a differentiated tax treatment for waste: “Raw materials and products are already taxed and, believe me, the State still taxes the waste that returns, when, in fact, it should exempt it to encourage the development of the recycling chain.”
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