In the context of continuous economic growth over the last decade, progressive poverty reduction and increasing mass consumption, the amount of waste in Colombia has grown steadily. Consequently, the government has developed a series of strategies focused on the environmentally sound management of solid waste, promoting reuse and recycling.
Taking into account the orientation of the current development plan (2018-2020) towards green economic growth, the transition from a policy primarily focused on solid waste management towards a circular economy has been initiated. Specifically, an increase in the recycling rate was included in the planning of the national sustainability programme for SDG 12 (increase from 8.6% in 2018 to 17.9% in 2030).
Considering that the approximately 47,000 waste pickers in Colombia perform, to a large extent, the collection and segregation of potentially recyclable waste, the National Government has issued a series of norms as part of a formalisation strategy for waste pickers, especially towards the generation of formal and regular employment (PE: Decree 596 of 2016). However, due to the lack of incentives in the tariff system, difficulties in achieving integration into the social security system and the insufficiently designed accompanying measures, the formalisation of waste pickers is developing very slowly.
Similarly, a regulation on extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging came into force in 2018 , which will now be progressively implemented by meeting minimum annual collection and management targets.
Implemented overall project value: 2,121,800 EUR
