Environmental and Socioeconomic Impacts of Urban Waste Recycling as Part of Circular Economy. The Case of Cuenca (Ecuador)

Abstract

Urban mining by recyclers represents a positive environmental impact as well as being part of the waste management chain. This paper analyzes the contribution of waste pickers in the city of Cuenca in Ecuador and the conditions of their activity. This research has a two-fold objective. First, it calculates the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the substitution of virgin raw material in the production process by using recycled urban waste. The second objective is to conduct a socioeconomic analysis of the workers involved in the urban waste sector. Cuenca (Ecuador) is the main city used for this case study, thanks to the accessibility of a rich database built from the survey conducted by the NGO Alliance for Development. The information contained in this survey facilitates the identification of potential consumers of the waste industry. This study uses Clean Development Mechanism methodology. Finally, this work proposes a theoretical model for solid waste management, applied to the city, following the principles of the circular economy.

The moderating effect of collective efficacy on the relationship between environmental values and ecological behaviors

“…In Ecuador, regarding recycling, the Ecuadorian Constitution derives the competence in the Decentralized Autonomous Governments (Seventh Section, Art. 415); however, there are no records of incentives for recycling aimed at individuals, but rather at companies (Burneo et al, 2020). On the other hand, in Spain, Law 11/97 of April 24, about packaging and packaging waste, and Royal Decree 252/2006, of March 3 regulate aspects that have to do with recycling but do not include economic incentives aimed at individuals, in the same way of the Ecuadorian regulation.…”

Education of Inorganic Waste Management Through Training of Creations

“…Besides recycling carried out by industry or factories, plastic waste recycling can also be done by reusing items from plastic waste. The use of recycled plastics in the remaking of plastic goods has proliferated [8,2]. Community service activities in Sungai Bilu Village are carried out in three stages; namely, the first activity is carried out by socializing waste management into various creations through the material presented.…”

Waste Management. The Disconnection between Normative and SMEs Reality

“…In Brazil's case, [44] analyses the national waste management policy and companies' obligation to adopt reverse logistics activities on companies' supply chain management. Analysing Ecuador's situation, [45] investigates the recycling sector and the necessity of improving the recyclers' precarious job conditions and its effect on waste management. These cases show the need to generate further studies and obtain more empirical evidence in the region.…”