Acquiring knowledge related to the protection of the environment stands out as one of the principal actions of the organization for the consolidation of sustainable development of Marcopolo. The company has the most important certifications, such as ISO 14.001, OHSAS 18001/99 and SA 8000/01, among others. The sector of the Environmental Engineering Department guarantees the survey and evaluates the fulfillment of the applicable environmental legislation, defines and guides the selective collection of the discarded material, stimulates the search for alternatives to reduce the generation of residue during the productive process and determines its adequate final destination. With a proactive attitude and specialized professionals, Marcopolo invests in training and new technologies to control and/or minimize environmental impact resulting from its activity.
Programs related to Environmental issues are part of the administration policy of Marcopolo. The Recycle with Reuse program, since its adoption in October 2001, enables the annual recycling of more than 250 tons of paper with paint residue, preserving approximately 7000 trees. The project, distinguished with the prizes Ecologic Expression 2002 and Top of Ecology ADVB 2002, allows to recycle all paper with paint residue generated in the process of isolation for painting the bus bodies.
The Continuous Management of Solid Residue is another Marcopolo program related to the environment. Implemented in 1999, it allows to reduce up to four times the environmental liabilities, apart from recovering one third of the materials that were previously discarded. The process starts with the selective collection of residue in the generating source, passes to the temporary storage in centers and is later forwarded to the company Residue Processing Unit (UPR), licensed by the Environmental Body. UPR has as its purpose to aggregate value to the discarded material, identify the possibilities of reuse, promote the adequate commercialization of the recyclable material, supply the necessary information for waste control of the material and promote the packaging in landfill recipients for the non recyclable residue.
Marcopolo also treats the sanitary and kitchen effluents generated in the productive process. The efficiency of the treatment is guaranteed by the company´s own laboratory, registered with the environmental body. The atmospheric emissions are also monitored annually, completing this way the cycle of the Environmental Management System.
In 2008 the Word Environment Day was not ignored by the units of the Marcopolo companies in Brazil. During Environment Week, celebrated from 2 to 6 of June, the collaborators received various seedlings of seeds, flowers, spices and medicinal herbs along with a leaflet that explains how to construct a vase made of leftovers that can be transformed into humus for the planting of seeds. This initiative aimed in raising the consciousness of the collaborators about the importance of environmental preservation and quality of life on the planet with simple but responsible actions. Recycling and reuse of materials is today one of the most important actions for sustainable development. Actions like these demonstrate Marcopolo’s commitment to the environment and the society. Internal trainings and lectures at schools: Marcopolo constantly organizes internal trainings with the objective to raise consciousness and sensitize the collaborators towards environmental issues.In the trainings, the importance of selective collection of residue- in order to be reused, avoiding this way landfills - is one of the items that stand out. The events also approach the necessity of identifying the environmental impact of various tasks developed during the productive process. For the external public, the Environment sector also promotes various activities. The principal activity is the realization of lectures for Primary and Secondary Schools. Presentations are made according to school requirements. In the meetings, the department shows how the internal management of environmental issues works in Marcopolo. Afterwards, the students visit the company and see for themselves the selective collection of several productive sectors at the same time getting acquainted with the Residue Central and the Effluents Treatment Station.
The 2007 World Environment Day was commemorated with the delivery of a tree seedling per collaborator along with an explanatory folder in a campaign to raise consciousness in relation to the fight against global warming with the following objectives: To make every person responsible for their personal impact that contributes to global warming, to make every person plant a tree contributing to the neutralization of their CO2 emissions, to promote understanding of the responsibility each of us has towards global measures.
An explanatory folder was given to all collaborators of the Brazilian units. The presented information favored subjects such as the selective collection of residue, treatment solutions and final disposal, as well as the water preservation issue as a way of sustainable use of the natural resource and economy with a financial return.
The company’s gardens were enriched by planting seedlings of azalea. The representative collaborators of all company departments were invited to plant a flower seedling per department. Azalea: “Shrub of the family of Ericaceae, the azalea was chosen to represent Environment Day because it symbolizes joy, success, life and bravery. The plant is very popular and can be found in hedges, gardens, corridors and entrances even when it is cultivated in vases. Part of its success is due to the blossoming period which takes place in winter months and the beginning of spring and because it is considered to be rustic and resistent.
It faces with bravery certain climatic conditions providing a special colorfulness to the place it is planted. To have such a plant it is only needed to cut a seedling from an adult tree because there are no seeds for the cultivation of this species”.
In 2004 various activities were promoted in the Raquel Graziotin State School, in Caxias do Sul, that integrated the project Schools 2004. The event was directed towards the first to fourth grade students. The subject explored in this meeting was water, as a tribute to the International Year of Water. The program included a walk to the São Miguel do Complexo Dal Bo dam, where the cycle of water was explained. Returning to school, the students showed what they understood through drawings which were exposed in the company’s mess for a week following the event. The event was concluded by planting trees around the school. Also, in 2004, Marcopolo participated in the project Participating In Environment week, promoted by the Division of Environmental Education of the Environmental Municipal Secretary of Caxias do Sul, receiving the certificate of a friendly to the environment company.
The collaborators received an informative disc with all the environmental programs developed internally beyond a sequence.
Marcopolo delivered vases with seedlings planted and blossomed, gifts that symbolize the environmental control process and management that currently takes place in the company. The vases were manufactured from the residue of polypropylene generated in the company. Thanks to selective collection, the material can be directed towards the recycling industry and transformed into a new product. The humus used to plant the seedling comes from the biological green manure, produced in the process of treatment of organic effluents (sanitary and kitchen) of Marcopolo itself. A label was attached to the vases with the following: “Plastics were separated from garbage, which were sent to the recyclers that produced this vase. The biological green manure was produced from the treatment of effluents which, when composed, transformed into humus. This seedling was planted, grew and blossomed in this vase and in this humus”. This action had various objectives, among which was to prove the importance of selective collection of materials, to commit the collaborators to the responsibility of selective collection, to introduce the concept of reusing recycled material in the productive processes, to call attention to the waste of materials issues and to diffuse the current stage of industrial residue management of the company.
Marcopolo constantly organizes actions and activities with the objective of raising consciousness and sensitizing the collaborators towards environmental issues. The importance of selective collection of residue- in order to be used again and this way avoid landfill- is one of the items with the greatest distinction. The events also approach the necessity to identify the environmental impact of various tasks developed during the productive process.
For the external public, the Environmental Sector also promotes various activities. The principal activity is the realization of lectures for Primary School students as well as for Secondary School students. The presentations are done according to the requests of the school and show how the Marcopolo environmental management functions. The students can also visit the company and see the selective collection in the various productive sectors, the Residue Center and the Effluents Treatment Station.
