{"id":26251,"date":"2026-03-25T08:10:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T07:10:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/circular-technology.com\/?p=26251"},"modified":"2026-03-25T08:10:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T07:10:48","slug":"stadlers-flexible-sorting-plant-drives-long-term-growth-and-sustainability-for-flacipel-in-guarulhos-brazil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/circular-technology.com\/en\/stadlers-flexible-sorting-plant-drives-long-term-growth-and-sustainability-for-flacipel-in-guarulhos-brazil\/","title":{"rendered":"STADLER\u2019s flexible sorting plant drives long-term growth and sustainability for Flacipel in Guarulhos, Brazil"},"content":{"rendered":"

STADLER Anlagenbau GmbH, the globally active specialist in the planning and delivery of turnkey sorting plants, designed and built a state-of-the-art sorting facility for Flacipel Com\u00e9rcio de Aparas e Sucatas Ltda, part of the Multilixo Group, in Guarulhos, in the state of S\u00e3o Paulo. Commissioned in December 2019 and officially inaugurated in February 2020, the plant has become a central pillar of Flacipel\u2019s development strategy and in the region\u2019s recycling infrastructure.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Processing up to 200 tonnes of dry mixed recyclables per day, the facility was engineered to handle a highly heterogeneous input stream while maximizing material recovery and minimizing rejects. For Flacipel, the project represented far more than a capacity expansion. As Rubens Prinet, Operations Manager at Flacipel, explained: \u201cLooking at Flacipel\u2019s trajectory within the Multilixo Group, the Guarulhos sorting facility played a structurally strategic role at the time the investment decision was made. It was conceived not merely as \u2018just another plant,\u2019 but as a value hub with multiple layers.\u201d<\/p>\n

A plant designed as a platform for growth<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

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Source: Stadler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the outset, Flacipel\u2019s objectives were ambitious. The company aimed to minimize residual waste, sort material into 21 fractions, and maintain the flexibility to process different input streams, selective collection, office and commercial waste. Achieving this balance between efficiency and adaptability posed a significant technical challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe possibility to change the type of the material infeed requires a very clever design,\u201d said Henrique Filgueiras, Sales Director at STADLER do Brasil. \u201cOur task was to create a plant that performs consistently at a high level in every operating scenario, without compromising flexibility. This is where STADLER\u2019s modular approach and experience with complex material streams really makes a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

The solution includes a pre-sorting station that separates material according to bag color, followed by a first classification step using a STADLER ballistic separator to isolate cardboard. Pre-classified material streams are stored and then fed separately into the main sorting line, which features dosing units, bag openers and two further STADLER ballistic separators. Advanced optical sorting, windshifter, magnetic and eddy-current separation enable the recovery of a wide range of fractions, including various plastic types, films and colors, paper grades, cartons, metals, and RDF.<\/p>\n

This configuration allows Flacipel to adapt the process and equipment settings to each material stream, ensuring stable output quality even as input composition varies.<\/p>\n

Flacipel\u2019s decision to partner with STADLER was shaped by years of prior collaboration and hands-on experience. According to Silvio Urias, Managing Director and Owner of the Multilixo Group, \u201cthe choice of STADLER was not merely a technical one. It was a strategic positioning decision for the Multilixo Group and Flacipel. It is like playing in the first division.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before the Guarulhos plant was built, the Multilixo Group had already operated a STADLER sorting line for seven years, incorporating a STADLER ballistic separator alongside a bag opener and optical sorters. \u201cThis hands-on experience was fundamental in validating the technology under Brazilian conditions and in guiding the design of the facility inaugurated in 2020, reducing risks and ensuring high performance from the outset,\u201d Silvio Urias said.<\/p>\n

The collaborative approach continued throughout the project lifecycle. \u201cThe Flacipel sorting facility was developed collaboratively with STADLER, based on real operational experience, continuous testing, and the joint process and layout design,\u201d he added. Installation was completed in just four months, followed by commissioning carried out by STADLER\u2019s Brazilian team, enabling rapid knowledge transfer and a smooth ramp-up to full operation.<\/p>\n

A step change in capacity, resilience, and market position<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

Since its inauguration, the Guarulhos plant has fundamentally reshaped Flacipel\u2019s operations. Monthly throughput has increased from 4,800 tonnes to 8,000 tonnes, delivering economies of scale, stronger margins, and greater commercial leverage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are now a benchmark in both volume and quality,\u201d said Silvio Urias. \u201cThe operation has become more resilient. For our clients, this means a stable partner, lower environmental risk, reliable data, and continuity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The increased capacity and consistency have also opened new business opportunities. With the ability to guarantee high recovery rates and traceability, Flacipel has secured new contracts, particularly with customers seeking zero-landfill solutions for their waste streams. \u201cFlacipel has become a trusted partner where clients can transfer their environmental challenge and receive predictability, security and documented proof in return,\u201d Urias noted.<\/p>\n

STADLER\u2019s involvement did not end with commissioning. An ongoing inspection and preventive maintenance contract ensures that STADLER technicians visit the plant monthly, supporting service planning and minimizing downtime. Regular commercial visits further reinforce the partnership and position the Guarulhos facility as a benchmark for advanced sorting solutions in Brazil.<\/p>\n

Enabling circular economy outcomes today and tomorrow<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

At a regional level, the plant plays a critical role in advancing sustainability and circular economy goals. With efficient sorting and comprehensive fraction recovery, no material is sent to landfill; every output stream is directed towards a defined, sustainable use.<\/p>\n

\u201cFlacipel\u2019s sorting facility is the key instrument for enabling the circular economy, reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill and ensuring environmental traceability,\u201d Prinet explained. \u201cAt the same time, the project has evolved through the integration of new equipment and capacity expansions, moving beyond the original design to become a dynamic industrial platform.\u201d Further upgrades are already under development, including an expansion of the 3D line to automatically sort additional fractions.<\/p>\n

For STADLER, the Guarulhos project exemplifies the value of long-term collaboration and flexible design. \u201cThis plant shows how a well-conceived sorting facility can become a growth engine,\u201d Filgueiras concluded. \u201cBy combining performance, adaptability, and close partnership, we have helped Flacipel build an operation that is not only efficient today, but ready for future challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n

title: Julia Stadler, Co-CEO of STADLER Group, Silvio Urias, CEO of Multilixo\u00a0 Group and Willi Stadler, Co-CEO of STADLER Group at the Flacipel plant<\/em><\/p>\n