Each Latin American generates one kilo of waste per day and the region as a whole generates some 541,000 kilos of waste per day, which represents around 10% of the world’s waste, without taking into account the waste generated by its industries. Another challenge for Latin America is to increase recycling rates, which are still very low, at less than 10%.
In this line, Ecuador, in addition to recently approving the Organic Law on Inclusive Circular Economy, becoming the first of its kind in Latin America, has also created a digital platform on industrial symbiosis.
This platform has been created by UNACEM Ecuador and CERES, as well as being endorsed by the Ministry of Environment and Water. These organisations consider industrial symbiosis as a key tool to generate an ecosystem conducive to the development of the circular economy, thanks to the collection of information on waste (for the time being, non-hazardous) generated by industries and to connect them so that the solid waste generated by their processes can be used in other production chains.
Companies interested in being part of this transformation process can register on the website:
The information submitted on their waste will be backed by confidentiality and will not be in the public domain; it will be stored and systematised for the presentation of aggregate results. If opportunities for industrial symbiosis between companies are identified, contact details will be shared through the site.
