A neoenergy announced that, when collect 1,073 thousand tons of solid waste through the Vale Luz Project, between January and June, generated R$612,8 thousand in discounts on electricity bills of customers who recycled items through the initiative, which includes collection at fixed and itinerant points and, more recently, with the Return Machine.
“The results obtained prove that the environmental education work developed by Neoenergia is gaining more and more customers in its energy distribution area in four states (RN, PE, BA and SP) plus the Federal District”, highlighted Ana Christina Mascarenhas, superintendent of Energy Efficiency at Neoenergia.
“The project converts recyclable waste into discounts on energy bills, which is very important for citizens. From January to June, the collection of discounts increased by 86% compared to the same period in 2022, totaling more than R$600 thousand”, he highlighted.
The initiative, regulated by ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency), 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 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 this equipment enabled customers to access the Vale Luz Project.
In Rio Grande do Norte, five Retorna Machines went into operation in the first quarter of 2023. According to the company, the machines became an additional tool for meeting customer needs, as Neoenergia Cosern already had fixed and itinerant points for collection of recyclable waste.
At Neoenergia Coelba (BA) and Neoenergia Pernambuco (PE), the Returns Machine were implemented from 2022 to reinforce access for consumers in these northeastern states to the Vale Luz Project. The almost 10 million customers concentrated in these two distributors now have access to a new mechanism for exchanging recyclable waste for discounts on the electricity bill, as both already had fixed and itinerant points for collecting these items.
More equipment details
According to the company, the new equipment features “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 Triciclo de Benefícios Program, which guarantees the customer, with each disposal, Tricoins – points that can be converted into discounts on the energy bill. All discarded material must be empty and have a legible barcode”, they explained.
It is by reading this code that the machine identifies the material and counts the points for the user. Anyone who deposits 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. This amount can be redeemed for discounts on the electricity bill or donated to institutions/NGOs registered on the platform.
How to participate
To participate, each user must create a Triciclo account, which can be created on the machine itself, or generated through the website triciclo.eco.br or through the Triciclo app (available for IOS and Android in the App Store and Google Play stores, respectively) .
The customer can discard up to 25 packages per 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.
According to the company, anyone can exchange solid waste, even those who live in areas that are not served by Neoenergia. In this case, they will have the option of donating their scores to one of the charities registered with the program.
