AkzoNobel Plants 12,000 Seedlings, Helps to Save Brazilian Rainforest

AkzoNobel NV said that it has planted around 12,000 seedlings at of its sites in Brazil, a large area in the Brazilian rainforest.

The species are native to this region and are part of the company’s ongoing project to safeguard the fragile ecosystem.

The seedlings will replace part of the existing non-native eucalyptus woodland within a six-hectare plot at the Tangara Reserve, which sits inside the company's Maua facility in Sao Paulo.

As well as helping to preserve the local environment, the planting of species native to the area's Mata Atlantica forest will also regulate the flow, and improve the quality of, a nearby waterway. It's the latest phase of a long-term project to restore 70 hectares of the reserve to native woodland.

In addition to planting seedlings at the reserve, the company's Decorative Paints business is also investing around €3 million in a water treatment plant at Maua. The high-quality recycled water will be reused to manufacture paint.

The forest restoration and water reuse project are part of a major strategic drive within decorative paints to grow its portfolio of water-based products and use less water for manufacturing. During 2017, the Maua plant expects to reuse 10 percent of its water, rising to 40 percent in 2018 and 100 percent by 2020.

"Around 35 hectares have been reforested since 2007 and it's a source of great pride to see how we're contributing to safeguarding the Brazilian rainforest. A 2015 study concluded that the forest is recovering itself, except for a steeper area, and that's the target of this new phase of the project," said Elaine Poco, RD&I director for AkzoNobel decorative paints in Latin America.

"The investment in our water treatment facility and our ongoing commitment to helping safeguard the Brazilian rainforest are important milestones towards a more sustainable and livable future," added Said Daniel Campos, managing director for AkzoNobel decorative paints in Latin America.