Around 1.07 thousand tons of waste were collected through the Vale Luz Project

with credit generation on the energy bill

Combining environmental education with the economy, Neoenergia broke a record in the first half of 2023. By collecting 1,073 thousand tons of solid waste through the Vale Luz Project, between January and June, the company generated R$ 612.8 thousand in discounts on electricity bills for customers who recycled items through the project, which includes collection at fixed points, itinerant points and, more recently, with the Return Machine

.

“The results obtained in the first half of 2023 through the Vale Luz Project prove that the environmental education work carried out by Neoenergia is winning more and more customers in its energy distribution area in four states (RN, PE, BA and SP) plus the Federal District. The project reverts recyclable waste into discounts on the energy bill, which is very important for citizens. From January to June, the collection of discounts was increased by 86% compared to the same period in 2022, totaling more than R$ 600 thousand”, highlights Ana Christina Mascarenhas, superintendent of

Energy Efficiency at Neoenergy.

The project, regulated by the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL), provides for the exchange of solid waste (metal, paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, oil, and electronics) for discounts on the energy bill.

Return Machine

In the first half of the year, Neoenergia's distributors in the Federal District (Neoenergia Brasília) and in the interior of São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul (Neoenergia Elektro) put around 20 Retorna Machine units into operation. The entry into operation of these equipment allowed customers to access the Vale Luz Project

.

In Rio Grande do Norte, five Retorna Machines went into operation in the first quarter of 2023. The machines became an additional tool for meeting customer needs, since Neoenergia Cosern already had fixed and itinerant points for the

collection of recyclable waste.

At Neoenergia Coelba (BA) and Neoenergia Pernambuco (PE), Machine Returns were implemented starting in 2022, reinforcing the access of consumers from these important Northeastern states to the Vale Luz Project. The nearly 10 million customers concentrated in these two distributors now have a new mechanism for exchanging recyclable waste for discounts on the electricity bill, since both already had fixed and itinerant points for the collection of these items

.

With a focus on innovation and consumer autonomy, the new equipment has “touch screen” technology that explains, on the screen itself, how to exchange recyclable materials and receive their benefits.

The

collection machines are the starting point for the Tricycle Benefit Program, which guarantees the customer, with each disposal, the Tricoins - a score that can be reverted to discounts on the energy bill. All discarded material must be empty and include a legible bar code

.

It is by reading this code that the machine identifies the material and counts the points to the user. Those who deposit 10 aluminum cans or 15 PET bottles, for example, in any of the machines, will receive a score of 150 Tricoins, which is equivalent to R$ 1.00. This amount can be redeemed for discounts on the electricity bill or donated to the institutions/NGOs registered on the platform.

How to participate

To participate, each user must create a Tricycle account, which can be created on the machine itself, or generated through the tricycle.eco.br website or through the Tricycle app (available for IOS and Android in the App Store and Google Play stores, respectively).

The customer can discard up to 25 packages a day for conversion into Tricoins for later redemption in discounts on the energy bill. If there is a disposal greater than this number, on the same day, the material will be collected and recycled, but it will not count towards the Tricoins score in the user's account. The score is cumulative and does not expire

.

Anyone can exchange solid waste, even those who live in areas that are not serviced by Neoenergia. In this case, they will have the option of donating the score to one of the assistance entities registered by

the program.