Reporters learn about the circular economy of plastics in Colombia

Cempre (Plastics Pact Colombia’s coordinator), the University EAN, and WWF Colombia proposed something just as urgent as it is rare: to train reporters, marketing and communications specialists, and content creators to tell the story of plastics with context, rigor, and not falling into greenwashing.

The idea came from a validation shared by academia, NGOs, and the industry: the public debate about plastics usually does not go past slogans. Citizens decide based on headlines, colors, and ambiguous promises; communications specialists, meanwhile, need sources, understandable technical language, and criteria to not fall into absolutist claims like “is always recycled” or “is 100% sustainable”.

That’s how “The journey towards plastic: challenges and opportunities for an effective communication” was born.

From theory to practice

The group, made up of national and specialized reporters closed the nine-part series with two technical visits: first to an M&M Classification and Recovery Station (known as ECA in Spanish), a waste picker association located in Toberín (Bogotá). They then paid a visit to our recycling facility, Reciclene (Tocancipá).

In both instances they were able to finish the puzzle: how does material reach the facilities, what makes them recyclable or not, how much does it cost to fix these origin eros and why having the right message on pack avoids monetary and effort losses.

What isn’t seen in Recycling, ends up poorly sorted

The journey began at M&M’s ECA, where all participants were greeted with an uncomfortable reality: many of the things that people believe are “recyclable” are recovered with contaminants that make the process harder. Food residue, mixed materials, labels that are impossible to peel off, inks that soil other materials. All of these do not only make the waste picker’s job harder, but makes the process more expensive and reduces performance in the supply chain.

When speaking with the ECA team there were two key ideas that came up:

1. Separating in “clean and dry” should not be optional, but a daily expectation
   
2. Communications with the end user are saturated; there are so many icons, seals, and words that confuse consumers regarding what is actually sustainable.

Circularity that you can touch

Days after, the experience continued at our facilities in Reciclene. We opened our doors to welcome the group and let them see the industrial process up close in every stage. They got to see our post-consumer recycled resins (PCR) coming out from a process that begins as waste and sets the stage for circularity: it was no longer an intangible idea, but an operation that demands investments and commitment.

Luisa Fernanda Ribero, corporate sustainability director of Grupo Plastilene, connected what was seen at the ECA with industrial challenges: what marketing dreams about (colourful, with metallic and shiny finishes, perfect transparencies) tend to clash with recyclability and the use of recycled material.

That’s where concepts such as monomateriality, washable inks, removable inks, and clear labeling are not environmental whims, but decisions that must be made for effectiveness and the viability of the process.

The work must be done together to make recycling a reality

There was an overarching detail that made the visit memorable: the relationship forged with waste pickers. In Reciclene we work alongside waste picker associations to standardize the process, offer training regarding prequalifications, and, at times, support them with compactors to support their management of the materials.This support improves the quality of the postconsumer plastic that they commercialize and create better working conditions. 

Challenges in the industry: design, information, and community culture

With the conversations there were some recurring topics:

• Poorly separated materials that increase cost along the whole supply chain
• The industry feels the legislative pressure, but depends on standards, infrastructure, and a well educated consumer
• In Colombia, culturally, people do not read labels, which makes falling for greenwashing claims more likely
• It’s not about companies using 100% recycled material immediately, but gradually working towards incorporating 20 – 30 – 40 %
• Consumers are saturated with information every day; our challenge lies in unifying the message and coordinating our efforts
• Knowing the structure of local waste pickers (frameworks, schedules, names) makes direct deliveries easier and improves trust

The day left us with knowledge and work to do
We learned that without responsible design, functional infrastructure, and informed habits, circularity is not a possibility.

The work we must do is for companies to move forward with realistic goals, progressively incorporating recycled material, while at the same time a unified messaging culture is built.

And a conviction that this partnership amongst different industries is the way to ensure that what we did in these visits becomes an everyday practice in neighborhoods, media, production lines and stores.

There is not a one size fits all solution

What was also made clear was that the needs of the country are not the same in all states, cities, and towns. That’s why it’s important to train those who communicate and share information: that’s how the message is shared with the necessary complexity to each area and, at the same time, we understand first hand what our local challenges are.

The case of Mónica Pinilla (RAP Pacífico) exemplifies this: she used to work in sustainable tourism promotion and plastic wood in Cali. At Reciclene she learned how recycled plastic can maintain or increase its value. This understanding strengthens the supply chain and multiplies its potential uses.

The conversation also came back to earth regarding the logistical reality of the different territories. Mónica told us that plastics must be cleaned up in some beaches in the Pacific using airplanes. That’s where the equation changes: that material is made more expensive and no one would pay for it in normal conditions.

This is a strong reminder that there are no universal solutions, and that sustainability must always be accompanied by context.

That’s why we celebrate having been a part of this event: when you travel through the supply chain, it becomes harder to judge and it becomes easier to be part of the solution.