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Examining Latin America’s Transition to a Circular Economy for Plastics
Summary
This policy analysis found that Latin American countries are generating increasing amounts of plastic waste while their waste management and recycling infrastructure remains inadequate, though the region is beginning to adopt circular economy strategies through national roadmaps and legislation. The study is relevant to microplastic pollution because poor waste management is a primary driver of plastic breakdown into microplastics in rivers and coastal waters.
In light of global efforts to advance a circular economy for plastics, this study examines Latin America's transition through three core objectives. First, it analyzes secondary data on plastic production and consumption and the generation, mismanagement, and transboundary trade of plastic waste. Second, it scrutinizes government-led initiatives across the region based on official policy documents. Third, it conducts a SWOT analysis, evaluating the initiatives' strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to assess the current landscape of circular product design and business models, as well as their potential to mitigate the environmental impacts of the triple planetary crisis. Findings reveal that plastic production, consumption, and waste are steadily increasing in the region, while waste management and sustainable trade remain insufficient. The circular economy for plastics has gained traction through national strategies, roadmaps, and legal instruments. Its adoption has been notable in Chile and Uruguay, but negligent in several countries. Governments are supporting research into recycled materials and polymer innovation, yet policy gaps persist around microplastics and harmful additives in plastic product design. Most initiatives prioritize circular supply chains and resource recovery business models, while giving limited attention to other models and the underlying drivers and barriers. Furthermore, initiatives often address plastic pollution with weak linkages to climate change and biodiversity loss. This research strengthens the understanding and implementation of actions positioning circular design as pivotal to reducing plastic waste at the source, circular business models as catalysts for low-carbon economies, and the fight against the triple planetary crisis as an environmental objective of circular economy initiatives.