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Examining Latin America's Transition to a Circular Economy for Plastics
Lina Raquel Rodríguez-Meza1, Felipe Romero-Perdomo2,3, Miguel Ángel González-Curbelo4
1Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad EAN, Bogotá D.C., Colombia.
Environmental Management
|January 10, 2026
Summary
Latin America faces rising plastic production and waste, with insufficient management. While circular economy initiatives show promise, policy gaps and weak links to climate and biodiversity goals hinder progress.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Economics
- Policy Studies
Background:
- Global push for a circular economy in plastics.
- Latin America's increasing plastic production, consumption, and waste generation.
- Need to assess regional transition and policy effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- Analyze secondary data on plastic production, consumption, and waste.
- Scrutinize government initiatives and policy documents in Latin America.
- Conduct a SWOT analysis of circular economy initiatives for plastics.
Main Methods:
- Secondary data analysis (plastic production, consumption, waste).
- Policy document review of government-led initiatives.
- SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats).
Main Results:
- Plastic production, consumption, and waste are increasing; management is insufficient.
- Circular economy for plastics gaining traction via national strategies, notably in Chile and Uruguay.
- Policy gaps exist regarding microplastics, harmful additives, and diverse circular business models.
Conclusions:
- Circular design is key to reducing plastic waste at the source.
- Circular business models can catalyze low-carbon economies.
- Integrating plastic pollution with climate and biodiversity goals is crucial for the triple planetary crisis.
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