The first plant to generate plastic wood has been installed in Peru
As a result of an intense collaboration between organizations, companies, and recyclers, the first infrastructure to generate plastic wood in Peru was inaugurated in southern Lima in July of this year. Integrated into the Sinba Inclusive Circular Recovery Center (CIRC), this machinery allows the transformation of complex plastics, which are difficult to recover, into plastic wood, a highly resistant, sustainable, and versatile material that can replace traditional wood, both in construction and in the manufacturing of objects and furniture.
The installation was made possible thanks to the coordination of the Latitud R platform, in Peru, of which Fundación Avina is a part, with the the Chilean company Desafío Ambiente, which has extensive experience in recycling complex plastics. "We use plastic to our advantage, it is no longer our enemy as it has always been portrayed," commented Anita Farfán, co-founder and general manager of Desafío Ambiente, during the plant's inauguration. The Chilean organization was essential in this achievement on Peruvian soil and joined the process through the Latitud R business accelerator.
The incorporation of new materials, especially complex plastics, aligns with the circular economy promoted by CIRC. Managed by Sinba, the center is dedicated to material recovery based on a model of fair, transparent, inclusive, and traceable commercial transactions. In a continuous improvement process, CIRC decided to incorporate the infrastructure, and as part of the process, training was provided to grassroots recyclers in the recovery of new types of plastic materials, as well as learning in machinery use and plastic wood production.
Grassroots recycling organizations and companies such as Nestlé, Grupo Vida Sol, Field, and Amcor also joined this process. With the Complex Plastics Transformation Plant at CIRC, the aim is to increase the type and quantity of materials recovered in Lima, while formalizing the work of grassroots recyclers and giving greater traceability to the materials.
These goals are directly aligned with Fundación Avina's purpose of working with collaborative impact to achieve profound societal changes. The installation process of the Complex Plastics Transformation Plant, in which Fundación Avina contributes with partnerships to secure financing and execution, is carried out under the Latitud R Platform, which is the main regional platform for coordinating actions, investments, and knowledge on Inclusive Recycling. Latitud R aims to contribute to the development of inclusive recycling systems with economic, social, and environmental sustainability across the continent, contributing to the formalization and improvement of conditions for grassroots recyclers and the development of the Circular Economy in Latin America. The platform was created in 2011 by the Water and Sanitation Division of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB LAB), Coca-Cola Latin America, PepsiCo Latin America, the Latin American and Caribbean Network of Recyclers, and Fundación Avina, with Dow Chemical joining in 2020, and Nestlé in 2021.
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