By: Staff Writer
March 7, 2025
A new report by the Stockholm Environment Institute says that the circular economy in the Caribbean presents significant opportunities reducing resource consumption, mitigating environmental impacts, and creating jobs, while contributing to sustainable urban development.
The report, “Advancing the circular economy in Latin American and Caribbean cities,” said: “The circular economy presents significant opportunities for the Latin American and Caribbean region (LAC), including reducing resource consumption, mitigating environmental impacts, and creating jobs, contributing to sustainable urban development. Recommendations made in this report for Bogotá and other LAC cities include enhancing waste management infrastructure, fostering public-private partnerships, and building capacities for better waste handling and recycling practices.”
The report also discusses the critical role of informal waste workers in Bogotá’s CE transition, recommending improved recognition, support, and integration into formal waste management systems. They also advocate for a holistic circular economy approach using the 10-R framework, addressing multiple sectors and promoting sustainable consumption and production practices.
A circular economy is an economic model that aims to reduce waste and pollution by keeping materials and products in use. It’s a more sustainable alternative to the traditional “take-make-waste” linear economy.
The report also said: “The LAC region is one of the most rapidly growing and most urbanized regions in the world, with more than 80 percent of its population currently living in cities. Characterized by high population densities in cities and an emerging middle class, waste management is increasingly complex.
“Eight of the world’s largest waste dumpsites are located in LAC, with 60 percent of waste deposited in inadequately controlled landfills. Growing municipal waste production and its mismanagement present multiple impacts, including environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions, ocean plastic accumulation and nitrogen pollution, but also a major impact on public health.”
The report added: “Overall, our research highlights the need for stronger collaboration and coordination between the different actors, including public and private entities, academia and citizens. A holistic vision of the CE, instead of fragmented approaches, was strongly emphasized in the literature we analysed and in our interviews.
“Furthermore, informal waste sectors and a process of formalization are crucial but cannot be the sole focus of the CE: moving up higher in the 10-R framework (towards remanufacturing, repurposing, rethinking) and tackling other sectors aside from waste and energy could unlock substantial potential for material and energy reductions.”