Building a safe, profitable and collaborative recycling network that grants waste pickers dignity and embeds them in a mutually supportive value chain with business actors from different social strata.
10.400203656056, -75.50852545
2nd
Colombia is the 2nd most unequal country in Latin America, based on income distribution.[1]
27%
of Cartagena’s citizens live in poverty.[2]
62%
of Colombia’s best land is owned by less than 0.5% of its population.[3]
Anybody working as a waste picker sees the kind of joy that comes from recycling . . . recycling saves lives.
Our Commitment
Reciclamos Juntos, by Fundes and the Julius Baer Foundation, fosters professional relationships across the socioeconomic classes. It links waste generators, waste pickers, collection centres, processing plants and public schools:
- to create a value ecosystem of interconnected, collaborative and mutually beneficial actors along the whole recycling supply chain to increase the waste capacities of waste pickers, collection centres and up-cycling companies in Cartagena.
- to provide waste pickers with formal job recognition, safer working conditions, and negotiating power.
- to engage primary plastic-waste generators (hotels, shops, schools), disposal sites, recycling centres, buyers of recyclables, and consumer goods companies as part of a better coordinated, efficient plastics life-cycle.
- to develop a digital network that connects and educates waste generators, waste pickers and collection centres to improve waste collection, separation and processing capacities.
FUNDES is a non-profit consultancy that has helped 60,000+ mom-and-pop businesses —think bakeries, hardware shops, and beauty salons — put down roots and serve their communities.
Through public-private collaborations, FUNDES builds competitive, sustainable business ecosystems: small businesses connect with each other and with larger players — creating value for all.
In partnership with the Julius Baer Foundation, FUNDES has launched Reciclamos Juntos in Cartagena: an inclusive, safe, and profitable waste-collection and recycling network that connects people from diverse social and economic backgrounds with local businesses.
Throughout the partnership:
- 1200 college students
are receiving training in environmental stewardship and sensitivity to the working and living conditions of the waste pickers who play a pivotal role in local recycling.
- 750 stakeholders
including waste pickers, small-to-medium-sized businesses, recycling centres, and large corporations are connecting through FUNDES’ mobile app, Entre Redes, to optimise separation, collection, and processing of recyclables.
- 500 waste pickers
from vulnerable social groups are receiving training and tools to become professional recyclers.
- 240 waste generators
including mom-and-pop shops and larger enterprises, are forming a network of eco-friendly businesses, incentivised by credits disbursed as a block-chain empowered community currency, to sort their waste.
Become a Changemaker
You can increase the impact of FUNDES through donations, collaborations, partnerships and volunteering. Get in touch!
