en.Wedoany.com Reported - Petrobras will invest up to 23 million reais in social projects for the collection and commercialization of waste oils, such as used cooking oil. The projects will be selected through a public call, with three projects chosen in the state of São Paulo and one in Bahia. The investment covers several municipalities near Petrobras refineries and the Petrobras Biocombustíveis plant.
Petrobras CEO Magda Chambriard explained that used cooking oil can be used to produce co-processed products, serving as raw material for fuels containing renewable components, such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) with up to 5% renewable content. This tender provides funding for waste picker cooperatives to collect waste oil.
Selected projects must focus on strengthening, organizing, and training associations, cooperatives, and other collectives of recyclable material pickers. Petrobras' investment will be used to improve warehouse logistics and infrastructure, establish collection points, acquire personal protective equipment (PPE), and equipment needed for filtering and temporary storage of waste oils. Funds can also be used for administrative and operational qualification training for waste pickers, aiming to improve working conditions, increase income, and enhance quality of life.
The reuse of waste oils also brings environmental benefits. Improper disposal of waste oils can clog household pipes, contaminate water bodies (including aquifers, rivers, lakes, and oceans), and harm aquatic ecosystems.
The deadline for proposal submission is July 3, 2026. Legally established non-profit private civil society organizations with experience in waste collection are eligible to participate. Proposals must be submitted to the public selection page on the Petrobras website (https://petrobras.com.br/sustentabilidade/selecoes-publicas), and results are expected to be announced by the end of this year.
Project contracts will last 36 months. In Bahia, one project opportunity will receive up to 5 million reais in investment and must be executed in Candeias (where the biofuels plant is located) and at least one of the surrounding municipalities: Camaçari, Candeias, Eunápolis, Feira de Santana, Inhambupe, Ipirá, Lauro de Freitas, Madre de Deus, Mata de São João, Pintadas, or Salvador. In São Paulo, three project opportunities will each receive up to 6 million reais: the first will be executed in Cosmópolis and Paulínia (where the REPLAN refinery is located), and may include Campinas; the second in Cubatão (where RPBC is located) and Santos, with the option of Guarujá; and the third targeting São José dos Campos (where REVAP is located) and Jacareí, with possible expansion to Caçapava.
Projects in both states must last 36 months and include qualification training and strengthening measures for associations and cooperatives of recyclable material pickers. Proposals addressing cross-cutting themes such as early childhood development, innovation, or human rights will receive additional points. Petrobras' Executive Manager of Social Responsibility, José Maria Rangel, stated that the projects, by promoting social inclusion, job creation, and income generation, drive economic development and improve quality of life while providing a proper disposal pathway for used cooking oil, yielding environmental benefits as part of a just energy transition.
Petrobras' Socio-Environmental Program supports sustainable economic initiatives aimed at improving production models, service delivery, and building inclusive and participatory networks, such as projects for recyclable material pickers. Currently, the company has 38 such projects across several Brazilian states, generating positive social and environmental impacts in communities near Petrobras' operations.
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