What Prolata Reciclagem does

Prolata Reciclagem (legal name Associação Prolata) is a Brazilian non-profit industry association founded in 2012 and headquartered in São Paulo, operating the Programa Prolata Reciclagem — the designated reverse logistics program for post-consumer steel cans in Brazil. The organization coordinates the full collection-to-recycling chain under the framework of Brazil's National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS / Lei 12.305/2010), working across four stakeholder groups: steel can manufacturer members who fund the program, municipal and state governments with which Prolata signs Terms of Commitment, waste collector cooperatives (catadores) that perform collection, and steel mills (such as Gerdau) that process material via electromagnetic separation. A foundational Term of Commitment with Brazil's Ministry of Environment was signed in December 2018, followed by parallel state-level agreements in Paraná, Ceará, Maranhão, São Paulo (CETESB), and public ministry agreements in Mato Grosso do Sul and Baixada Santista.

The product surface consists of four interconnected components: (1) the core Programa Prolata Reciclagem for compliance and statistics; (2) Mapa da Reciclagem, an interactive consumer-facing mapping tool for locating PEV PROLATA voluntary delivery points and partner sites; (3) Centro Prolata, a centralized collection and processing facility inaugurated in October 2013; and (4) Plataforma Prolata, a restricted-access member platform for logistics and compliance reporting. Supporting ecosystem assets include the Universo Reciclagem educational content platform and supporting industry organizations ABEAS (steel can manufacturers) and ABRAFATI (paint manufacturers).

Prolata's business model is an industry-funded managed-services structure rather than a commercial revenue model. Member dues from steel can manufacturers fund the program, with no publicly disclosed pricing and no commercial revenue generation. Operating on a 9-employee base, the organization has achieved a 47% national steel can recycling rate and channels more than 200,000 tons of post-consumer steel packaging to steel mills annually, with reported outcomes including 300,000 tons of avoided iron ore extraction. The reverse logistics footprint is single-country (Brazil) with multi-regional coverage through formal Terms of Commitment.

Name

Prolata Reciclagem

Legal name

Associação Prolata

Website

https://prolata.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Prolata Reciclagem is a Brazilian non-profit industry association founded in 2012 that operates the designated national reverse logistics program for post-consumer steel cans under Brazil's PNRS framework, coordinating collection by waste cooperatives and processing by steel mills for its steel can manufacturer members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recycling & Waste Management Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Waste Collection (5621), Waste Management and Remediation Services (562)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging Recovery & Closed-Loop Programs (Take-Back, Deposit-Return, EPR Support) (IMALAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recycling & Materials Recovery Logistics (E-waste, Batteries, Metals, Plastics) (TLAIAHAD), Recycling, E-Waste & End-of-Life Takeback Programs (TLAAALAN), Industrial Packaging Waste Services (Pallets, Cardboard, Film, IBCs/Drums—Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAD)

Keywords

• Reverse logistics
• Steel can recycling
• Post-consumer packaging
• Waste management services
• Recycling program

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Industry Association Funding: As a non-profit association, Prolata operates the Prolata Reciclagem Program funded by industry members (steel can manufacturers) to fulfill obligations under Brazil's National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS). The organization does not generate commercial revenue but coordinates the reverse logistics chain.
2. Reverse Logistics Services: Provides logistics coordination services for returning post-consumer steel packaging to the recycling chain, facilitating compliance with environmental legislation for member companies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Prolata manages a national reverse logistics program for post-consumer steel cans in Brazil, coordinating the collection, processing, and recycling of steel packaging on behalf of its steel can manufacturer members to fulfill their obligations under Brazil's National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS - Lei 12.305/2010). The organization runs collection through PEV PROLATA voluntary delivery points, a dedicated Centro Prolata processing facility, and a network of waste picker cooperatives, then forwards the steel to partner steel mills for recycling using electromagnetic separation. It also publishes the Mapa da Reciclagem interactive drop-off map, the Universo Reciclagem educational platform, and a members-only Plataforma Prolata for logistics and compliance reporting.

Product overview

Prolata Reciclagem operates as a single unified program—Programa Prolata Reciclagem—which is a reverse logistics ecosystem for post-consumer steel cans in Brazil. The program consists of multiple interconnected components: the core Programa Prolata Reciclagem itself for managing recycling compliance and statistics, the Mapa da Reciclagem tool for consumer-facing drop-off point discovery, the Centro Prolata collection center for material aggregation and processing, and the Plataforma Prolata for exclusive associate and partner access to reporting and logistics management. Together, these form an end-to-end reverse logistics solution from consumer disposal to steel mill recycling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Programa Prolata Reciclagem: Programa de Logística Reversa para Latas de Aço - The main program for reverse logistics of steel cans, ensuring proper collection, recycling, and environmental disposal of post-consumer steel packaging.

Products and services

• Programa Prolata Reciclagem A national reverse logistics program for post-consumer steel cans in Brazil that enables steel can manufacturers to comply with the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS - Lei 12.305/2010), coordinates collection through voluntary delivery points, cooperatives, and the Centro Prolata processing facility, and forwards material to partner steel mills for recycling. The program produces reliable statistics on steel packaging recycling (approximately 47% national recycling rate, 200,000+ tons returned annually) and is targeted at steel can manufacturers, municipal and state governments, and waste picker cooperatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 47% recycling rate for steel cans in Brazil, with 200,000+ tons of post-consumer steel packaging returned annually
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, regional, supporting and minor.

• Ministry of Environment (MMA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2018Prolata signed a Term of Commitment with Brazil's Ministry of Environment in December 2018, establishing the organization's role in implementing the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS) for the steel can industry. This foundational agreement paved the way for state and municipal partnerships.
• Companhia Ambiental do Estado de São Paulo (Cetesb)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCetesb, São Paulo state's environmental agency, has signed a Term of Commitment with Prolata for implementing reverse logistics of steel cans in São Paulo state under the PNRS framework.
• Government of the State of ParanáregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe State of Paraná government has signed a Term of Commitment with Prolata for regional implementation of steel can reverse logistics.
• Government of the State of CearáregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe State of Ceará government has signed a Term of Commitment with Prolata for regional implementation of steel can reverse logistics.
• Government of the State of MaranhãoregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe State of Maranhão government has signed a Term of Commitment with Prolata for regional implementation of steel can reverse logistics.
• Ministry of Public Prosecution of Mato Grosso do SulregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Mato Grosso do Sul Public Ministry signed a Term of Environmental Cooperation with Prolata in 2018 for implementing reverse logistics in the state.
• Gaema Baixada Santista (Public Prosecution)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Environmental Office of Baixada Santista signed a Term of Environmental Cooperation with Prolata in 2018, representing the first agreement in São Paulo state between the public prosecution and steel can industry representatives.
• Waste Collector CooperativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProlata operates an ongoing partnership program with waste collector cooperatives (catadores). The program aims to generate income, improve working conditions, and enhance process quality for cooperative members involved in steel can collection.
• Steel Mills (Usinas Siderúrgicas)coreTechnology or IntegrationSteel mills serve as the processing plants where collected steel cans are transformed into new steel for various applications including construction, automobiles, and new packaging.
• ABEAS - Associação Brasileira dos Fabricantes de Latas de AçocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABEAS is the Brazilian Steel Can Manufacturers Association, listed as a supporting organization and key stakeholder in the Prolata program.
• ABRAFATI - Associação Brasileira dos Fabricantes de Tintas, Vernizes e AfinssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerABRAFATI, the Brazilian Paint Manufacturers Association, is listed as a supporting organization for the Prolata program.
• GerdausupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerdau, a major Brazilian steel company, is listed as a supporting organization for the Prolata recycling program.
• BoomeraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoomera partnered with Prolata to organize the steel packaging chain and connect cooperatives with steel mills for proper disposal of post-consumer packaging.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• APEAL (Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging): European steel packaging industry association that coordinates recycling and circular economy initiatives. The closest international structural analogue to Prolata's industry-funded reverse logistics model for steel packaging.
• eureciclo: Brazilian reverse logistics compliance platform that helps companies meet PNRS obligations through certified recycled-content certifications. Directly comparable as a for-profit counterpart to Prolata's non-profit system, operating in the same regulatory space.
• Boomera: Brazilian reverse logistics specialist that works with cooperatives and brands to organize packaging chains — including an explicit partnership with Prolata to organize steel packaging. Directly comparable cooperative-centric reverse logistics model.
• Steel Recycling Institute: North American steel industry body promoting steel recycling and market development. Comparable mission and structure to Prolata within the steel packaging/materials recycling space.

Regional players

• Gerdau: Major Brazilian steel producer and listed Prolata supporter. Comparable as a steel value chain participant with closed-loop recycling interests, though operating at vastly different scale and as a steel manufacturer rather than a system operator.

Broad incumbents

• CEMPRE (Compromisso Empresarial para Reciclagem): Brazilian business association promoting recycling across multiple material streams. Comparable mission (corporate-led recycling advocacy and programs) but with a broader, multi-material scope rather than Prolata's steel-specific focus.
• Novelis: Global aluminum packaging producer with extensive closed-loop recycling infrastructure. Directly comparable for the EPR-driven reverse logistics model applied to beverage cans, albeit for aluminum rather than steel.
• Tetra Pak: Runs its own recycling and collection programs for carton packaging in Brazil and globally. Comparable as a packaging producer running reverse logistics to meet EPR obligations, though at much larger scale and on a different material.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prolata-reciclagem

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Prolata Reciclagem