At a time when industrial solvent recovery was not yet part of many production processes and these materials were not always reused or properly disposed of, RECICLO began developing its own method to recover them and enable their return to the production chain in Morro da Fumaça, Santa Catarina. Over 36 years, the pioneering method applied to solvents used by the plastic packaging industry has led the company to become the leading company in its segment in Brazil and expand its operations to 12 countries in Latin America.

RECICLO's approach is based on maximizing solvent preservation during recovery, subjecting the product to the lowest possible level of alteration or degradation to maintain its characteristics and quality and allow it to be reused. At the same time, the process seeks to make use of the other materials resulting from the operation, maximizing resource utilization throughout the cycle.

It was through this proprietary recovery method that the company became responsible for more than 80% of market demand for solvent recycling and eco-friendly processors for flexographic plate-making companies and flexographic industries. The company consolidated its position in the Brazilian market and expanded into other Latin American countries, such as Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. In Brazil, its operations reach major industrial markets, with a presence in states such as Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Bahia, and Pernambuco, among others.

According to the company's CEO, Alan Fabre, the presence RECICLO has established in Brazil and other countries is directly related to the way solvents are recovered, with a focus on preserving their characteristics so they can return to the production process. “For us, pioneering means rethinking the way recycling is approached. Preserving recovered products as much as possible, subjecting them to the least possible ‘stress’ during the process, and seeking to make full use of the contaminants removed. It is an approach that seeks to extract value from everything that goes through the recovery process,” he says.

Maximizing Resource Utilization Throughout the Cycle

With an installed capacity of 1 million liters, RECICLO recovers solvents through distillation and subsequently rebalances the products, restoring them to the conditions required for their use. The process also seeks to make use of the other materials resulting from the operation, such as sludge, which is supplied as raw material to other industrial sectors.

The ability to recover solvents, preserve their characteristics, and reintroduce them into the production cycle also supports the company's presence outside Brazil, bringing the solution developed in Santa Catarina to different international markets.

For Fabre, this expansion has enabled RECICLO to compete with companies in more developed markets and established industries. “In solvent recovery, we have reached an international level. We compete with more developed markets and more established industries, bringing a Brazilian solution that also stands out when compared with European benchmarks,” emphasizes the company's CEO.