State decree establishing the take-back requirements system for packaging in Mato Grosso (MT) published

In brief

On 1th February 2023, State Decree No. 112/2023[1] was published, establishing the take-back requirements system for packaging in the state of Mato Grosso. The decree is the first specific regulation on the subject in the state of Mato Grosso, regulating the state policy for solid waste (Law No. 7,862/2002) in this regard.

More details 

Decree No. 112/2023 establishes new guidelines for the implementation, structuring and operation of the take-back requirements system for packaging in Mato Grosso.

The recently published decree introduces similar concepts to those provided in Federal Decree No. 11,044/2022 that created the recycling credit — Recicla+, such as the figure of the independent verifier and the “Electronic Information System of the Black Box Species” (black box). The black box system aims to allow the capture of anonymized information from the business sector and the obtaining, in a confidential and secure way, of the quantity of product packaging masses made available in the market and returned to the productive sector, for the purposes of compliance with the reverse logistics targets by the companies adhering to the collective model.

The new decree obligates manufacturers, importers, distributors and traders of packaging that, after use by the consumer, generate packaging as waste in the territory of Mato Grosso to implement the take-back requirements system. There will be an obligation to implement the system whether or not the obligated parties are signatories to terms of commitment at the national or state level.

The concept of manufacturer is similar to that provided in other states, i.e., the “brand owner” is considered the manufacturer. When the manufacturer is not the brand owner of the product, but only fills, assembles or manufactures products on behalf of the brand owner, it must ensure that the respective product and/or packaging is covered by a take-back requirements system in the state.

The decree also provides that the registration of information on take-back requirements systems, which are self-declaratory, must be filed within 180 days from the publication of the decree.

One of the decree’s essential items concerns the targets, which must be progressive and quantitative, expressed in percentages, and by group of recyclable packages. The targets cannot be lower than those provided by the national solid waste plan — PLANARES, as well as sector agreements and terms of commitment of national or state levels.

The information on the target’s accomplishment must be sent annually through an annual performance report, to be submitted to the state environmental agency (SEMA/MT) by 30 June of each year. The first report must be submitted by 30 June 2023, and must show the amount of packaging placed on the market in the base year 2021, whose recovery (performance year) should have occurred in 2022.

SEMA/MT and the state treasury department (SEFAZ/MT) will inspect compliance with the decree’s obligations. Noncompliance with the obligations established by the new decree will lead to the application of the penalties of Federal Decree No. 6,514/2008, which deals with administrative infringements and penalties to the environment.

Finally, also following the trend of other state regulations, Decree No. 112/2023 foresees that the state environmental agency will require compliance with the take-back requirements system for packaging to issue or renew environmental licenses.

[1] Available at https://www.iomat.mt.gov.br/portal/visualizacoes/html/17127/#e:17127/#m:1422447