Circular economy and social sustainability – the role of consumers and urban recyclers in Argentinean recycling

12 million plastic bottles are discarded in Argentina per day, amounting to 200,000 tons of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) per year. Although PET can be recycled easily, only one third of these bottles are collected. The rest is not just a wasted resource, but also an environmental issue. The situation for other recyclable materials, such as paper and metals, is similar.

Two groups need to play a crucial role in the reduction and recycling of waste in Argentina. First, consumers could contribute to a circular economy by separating their waste and discarding of plastics and other recyclables separately. In the postgraduate research team, we therefore investigate the barriers to waste separation by consumers, and ways to overcome these barriers. Second, urban recyclers make valuable contributions to closing the resource loop. Our second research focus is thus the role of waste picker cooperatives, and their cooperation with municipalities, for the creation of synergies between social development and the circular economy.