MARCOPOLO RECEIVES ITS FIRST GREEN PATENT FOR TECHNOLOGY THAT TRANSFORMS WASTE INTO NEW PRODUCTION INPUTS

Developed in partnership with the SENAI Institute, the Hefesto Compound repurposes industrial waste and incorporates renewable raw materials, becoming Marcopolo's first green patent.

Marcopolo has received its first green patent for developing the Hefesto Compound, an innovative technology used as a sealing material in the manufacture of its buses. The solution replaces conventional inputs with an alternative developed by repurposing industrial waste and incorporating silica derived from rice husks, a renewable raw material.

Developed in partnership with the SENAI Institute of Innovation in Polymers (ISI Polymers) and Ciaflex, the solution is the result of a project carried out between 2024 and 2025. The initiative was supported by the Brazilian Industrial Research and Innovation Company (Embrapii) and brought together research, technological development, and environmental commitment to create an alternative that reduces waste, expands material circularity, and decreases dependence on fossil-based raw materials.

“The Hefesto Compound was born from the search for a more sustainable destination for the waste generated in our production process. We were able to turn this challenge into an innovative solution that combines material repurposing, the use of renewable raw materials, and technical performance. Receiving Marcopolo’s first green patent is an important recognition of this work and of our sustainable innovation strategy,” says Felipe Biondo, Marcopolo’s Product Reliability Coordinator.

The innovation has delivered tangible results. Studies conducted during the development process showed a reduction of more than 50% in the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the material, decreasing from approximately 1.7 metric tons to about 831 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent. The solution also reduced the consumption of fossil-based resources used in the product’s composition by more than 50%.

Another significant benefit is related to the circular economy. Thanks to the repurposing enabled by the new technology, approximately two metric tons of waste per year can be diverted from industrial landfills. In just one of the production lines evaluated, the initiative has the potential to eliminate approximately R$ 27 thousand per year in costs associated with the disposal of these materials.

“The Hefesto Project demonstrates how collaboration between industry and research centers can transform environmental challenges into opportunities for innovation. We were able to develop and validate a solution that repurposes industrial waste and incorporates renewable raw materials without compromising product performance, generating environmental, economic, and technological benefits throughout the production chain,” says Jordão Gheller Junior, Operations Manager at the SENAI Institute.

About Marcopolo

Founded 76 years ago in Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Marcopolo is one of the world’s leading bus body manufacturers and a benchmark in quality, technology, and innovation. Committed to advancing mobility, the company continuously invests in design, efficiency, new solutions, and international expansion, contributing to the development of passenger public transportation. With manufacturing facilities on five continents, its vehicles operate in more than 140 countries.

Image credit: Marcopolo Disclosure