In Sumaré, about 120 km from São Paulo (BRA), the steel grades are produced that are in demand by customers in South and Latin America, as well as in Europe, Asia and the USA. Villares Metals, as a major supplier to the automotive, aviation, tooling and oil & gas industries, thus makes a significant contribution to safe and comfortable mobility and reliable energy supply.
Villares Metals looks back on 80 years of tradition and impresses not only with its innovation, but also with its strong awareness of its responsibility to society. It was an early adopter of key initiatives in environmental protection: for example, the plant in Sumaré is supplied with water from local wells and reservoirs – extracted sparingly and 95% of which is returned. In addition, 92% of the electricity comes from green energy sources. Another recent flagship project is the “Liga Verde” circular economy program. It shows how we are promoting sustainability in steel production.
We have always been committed to environmental and climate protection in Brazil, for example through sustainable waste management and the optimal recycling of by-products and residues. Logically, our own scrap is immediately fed back into the process via the electric arc furnace route. This steel production technology uses electrical energy to melt scrap and produce high-quality steel grades from it. In recent years, efforts to recycle our customers’ scrap have also been stepped up. Through the scrap recycling service “Liga Verde by Villares Metals,” customers’ scrap is reused to manufacture new products, thus promoting a sustainable circular economy.
By introducing a cyclical material process, we can reduce waste, optimize the use of natural resources, and lower our carbon footprint. This strengthens our competitiveness, creates added value for our customers, and contributes to a more sustainable future. Liga Verde was born from the idea of creating a more sustainable and cooperative business model for our customers.
Since 2020, scrap metal generated by our customers during the processing of our products, e.g., during punching or cutting, has been collected, analyzed, classified, and transported back to Villares Metals, where it is reused as raw material for the production of new high-quality steel grades. The program is managed across departments, led by the strategy department and driven operationally on a daily basis by teams in purchasing, sales, marketing, raw materials, logistics, and materials management. In order to achieve the overarching goal of the program—maximum sustainability and emission reduction—logistics intelligence is also continuously improved and transport routes optimized so that the scrap metal arrives back at our Sumaré facility as efficiently and sustainably as possible.
We currently work with over 50 partner companies as part of Liga Verde, collecting around 3,000 tons of steel scrap annually. Most of our partners are located in the state of São Paulo, within a radius of around 300 km. However, we also work with companies in other Brazilian states (up to a distance of around 1,200 km) and in other countries, such as the USA. In the future, we plan to expand Liga Verde to new customers in different segments and other regions, while continuing to offer a high-quality scrap recycling service tailored to the needs of our partners.
The circular economy approach adopted by Liga Verde is an important component of the inSpire programme, which encompasses environmental objectives and guidelines. Liga Verde not only reduces raw material costs, but also enables our Brazilian plant to contribute directly to achieving our Group’s environmental goals. In addition, close and responsible cooperation also strengthens our relationships with our customers. The program has a positive impact because it promotes environmental awareness even beyond the factory gates. It reduces the strain on natural resources by actively contributing to environmental protection, has a positive effect on society by showing that growth and sustainability can coexist, and inspires other companies and industries to promote initiatives in the circular economy.
In our new brand and image campaign #FavoriteMoments, we show our contribution to a modern, sustainable life from the perspective of people. We focus on their individual favorite moments and the commitment of our employees that makes such moments possible. The specially composed song “All these moments” accompanies the campaign and musically conveys our values, courage, community and our joy for the future and is authentically accompanied by pictures of our employees.
Die voestalpine ist ein weltweit führender Stahl- und Technologiekonzern mit kombinierter Werkstoff- und Verarbeitungskompetenz. Die global tätige Unternehmensgruppe verfügt über rund 500 Konzerngesellschaften und -standorte in mehr als 50 Ländern auf allen fünf Kontinenten. Sie notiert seit 1995 an der Wiener Börse. Mit ihren Premium-Produkt- und Systemlösungen zählt sie zu den führenden Partnern der Automobil- und Hausgeräteindustrie sowie der Luftfahrt- und Öl- & Gasindustrie und ist darüber hinaus Weltmarktführer bei Bahninfrastruktursystemen, bei Werkzeugstahl und Spezialprofilen. Die voestalpine bekennt sich zu den globalen Klimazielen und verfolgt mit greentec steel einen klaren Plan zur Dekarbonisierung der Stahlproduktion.