Atres CNA (Cooperativa No Agropecuaria) based in the Province of Matanzas, Cuba, recovers plastic waste from the environment to develop products made of 'Ecomadera' (eco-wood in English), lumber wood made of plastic. Ecomadera is made from a mix of different kinds of plastics, reducing the need for virgin plastic resin, while providing clear advantages over other materials thanks to its good physico-chemical properties. The raw materials are provided by the national waste management company, who found in CNA Atres a valuable final destination to large volumes of diverted plastic, and by self-employed workers that are dedicated to the collection of solid waste. Products vary from trash cans, picnic tables, chairs, fences, stairs, and other home furniture. The Cooperative has achieved great visibility in Cuba and the high demand for its products has required the opening of new production facilities in the provinces of Havana, Mayabeque, Pinar del Río and Cienfuegos. As of 2019, the Cooperative has recycled approximately 250 tonnes of plastic.&nbsp;

Cooperative in Cuba turns plastic waste into lumber

UTT works to improve food sovereignty and agro-ecological practices in food production by bringing together and empowering farmer families in Argentina. One of their main objectives is to reduce the use of pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilisers, plastics and genetically modified seeds on farms. The activities of UTT range from advocating for improved legislation and secure access to land for farmers, the provision of micro- and soft loan schemes for smallholders, training and capacity-building.

Union of Land Workers (UTT) transforming Argentina’s agricultural landscape through agroecology

A system of decentralised composting locations allows São Paulo to divert large amounts of organic waste from landfills and produce compost.

São Paulo: Decentralised composting yards collecting and composting organic waste from street markets and households

'This paper defines São Paulo’s strategy for organic waste diversion, including collection treatment and recycling and their challenges for São Paulo. It builds on an assessment of São Paulo’s waste management by the City Assistance Project under the Climate and Clean Air Coalition Municipal Solid Waste Initiative, and a 2014-2033 Action Plan for organic waste in line with the city’s goals for integrated solid waste management.'

São Paulo's organic waste diversion strategy


"The city of Curitiba started the first recycling program in Brazil’s large cities in 1984, which turned out to be one of the most successful in the world and a leading example of a low cost but effective waste management program." Text by Oscar Ricardo Schmeiske in https://www.resourcepanel.org/file/323/download?token=oYh3a-SH

Incentivised recycling in Curitiba, Brazil

Sigora's “micro-utility” energy systems are helping building back a better Haiti after Hurricane Matthew. By clustering several micro-grids together in this system, the company is able to provide clean, reliable, and fairly-priced energy to Haiti’s most remote regions. Private ownership and decentralization of the grids contributes to the resilience of the overall system. Decentralization means that the entire network is not interrupted when one weak point fails.&nbsp;Whereas private ownership means that there is a local trained workforce on hand to restore power more quickly when disaster strikes.

Building Better: Decentralized Energy System in Haiti

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BASF developed a new approach about the recycling process, which involves a series of badges that will help recyclers with mechanical sorting of collected plastics because the badges can be scanned. This is done by blockchain which is used to share data form the digital badges amongst market participants securely.

reciChain - BASF uses blockchain for plastic recycling 

Bringing together governments and relevant networks and organisations, the Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency (GACERE) aims to provide a global impetus for initiatives related to the circular economy transition, resource efficiency, and sustainable consumption and production. Eleven countries (Canada, Chile, Colombia, Japan, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Rwanda, and South Africa) and the EU have joined the Alliance to date. Participants will address the need for a green recovery in a post-pandemic world and will look in particular at how sustainable development can tackle the unsustainable patterns that have driven environmental degradation and led to these crises.

Global Alliance on Circular Economy Plans to Advance Circular Transition 

Costa Rica has developed a Decarbonization Plan (2018-2050), which entails national strategies for green growth and lower emissions. The plan discusses transportation and sustainable mobility, energy and green building, waste management and agriculture and land use. The actions are presented in 10 sectoral focus areas with policy packages in three periods: beginning (2018-2022), inflection (2023-2030) and massive deployment (2031-2050), and also 8 cross-cutting strategies to enhance change.

Decarbonization Plan in Costa Rica

The National Strategy of Circular Economy (ENEC, by its acronym in Spanish) in Colombia establishes 6 lines of actions for a more circular future of the country, in the following areas: industrial materials and products; packaging materials; biomass optimization; water management; energy sources; material consumption in urban areas.