McKinsey.org
The Pitch
Rethinking Recycling, a non-profit supported by McKinsey, established community-run, low-cost recycling systems throughout an informal settlement in Buenos Aires to reduce litter and improve returns on recycling.
The Problem
Barrio 31, an informal settlement, lacked a formal method of processing waste. Waste was stored on the street or in sheds, which created health hazards and litter.
The Process
- Established a worker-run waste collection system featuring an indoor sorting facility
- Designed and deployed panels of color-coded hooks that allow residents to identify and hang sorted waste outside their households for collection
- Created a digital tracking system using QR codes on the hooks so collection crews can track household data and change agents can monitor behavioral trends
- Collaborated with the local composting plant to establish a residential organic waste collection program
- Adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic by distributing 85,000 meals and PPE, and running health and safety trainings for 400 waste workers
The Impact
- Provided waste collection service to 20,000 residents in 2020, up from 0
- Influenced residents to properly separate their waste into dry recyclables, compostable organics and residual waste, and put them out for collection
- The color-coded hook system:
- Prevents animals from getting into waste
- Enables data tracking at the household level
- Raises awareness about Rethinking Recycling and expands its reach: Neighbors see the hooks and ask about them
- Raised the income of waste workers by 5-10% by increasing revenue from recyclables
- Helped to establish 50 mobile testing and health education units, called “Prevention Posts,” during the pandemic
- Improved public safety and sanitation
- Provides local job opportunities via waste collection operations and the sale of recyclables
