our work in this sector
Waste generation has increased massively around the world in recent decades, and there are no signs of it slowing down. By 2050, worldwide municipal solid waste generation is expected to have increased by roughly 70 percent to 3.4 billion metric tons.
What happens to this waste varies greatly from country to country, but we know that the rates of collection, recycling and landfill disposal are very low in developing countries.
However, we also know that there are millions of informal waste workers in the world, many of whom remove waste from the environment and sell it to recycling services to provide themselves for a small income.
BVRio creates market mechanisms which deliver social benefit for informal waste workers, while also addressing the global problem of a take–make-dispose linear economy.
Products and Services
We seek to create market mechanisms to increase economic efficiency and address market failures, and to support the use of market-based approaches to create liquidity to the mechanisms created.
Circular Action HUb
The world's largest directory of local waste management projects and activities looking for support to fund, accelerate and strengthen a more effective and socially-responsible circular economy.
Circular Credits Mechanism
Our market tool to facilitate performance-based payments for the environmental services of collection (recovery), sorting and appropriate destination of recyclable waste materials.
KOLEKT Digital Waste Solutions
KOLEKT Digital Waste Solutions include; the world’s only multi country, multi-material solid waste trading app, Kolekt Exchange Certificates and a revolutionary global waste simulator for governments.
Supporting Waste Picker Cooperatives
We work with waste picker cooperatives to help them develop and expand their operations, access funding, and to take advantage of new waste legislation and technologies.
Circular Action Programmes (CAPS)
CAPs offer consumer goods companies a way to meet emerging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations in developing countries through the collection and sorting of waste by the informal sector.
OPNRS
The Solid Waste Policy Observatory (OPNRS), is a multi-stakeholder information initiative to oversee implementation of the Brazilian Solid Waste Legislation.
Impact
Our vision is to deliver positive impacts for the economy, environment and people through the work that we do.
120+ waste recovery projects enrolled in our Circular Action Hub in 40+ countries
Projects have the potential to recover over 500,000 tonnes/year of plastic waste from the environment
5,000+ individual waste pickers provided with an additional income
Multiple types of solid waste recycling supported including plastic, paper, metals, cartons, textiles
Current Initiatives
Plastic Reboot
Expert consultancy supporting the implementation of circular solutions in Brazil’s hospitality sector, engaging businesses and finance to reduce single-use plastics and enable scalable, system-level change.
Expanding impact in Rio de Janeiro Waste Cooperatives
The project encourages higher levels of recycling in the city through collaboration with nine waste cooperatives using the KOLEKT waste app, involving more than 300 informal waste workers.
Supporting ‘cooperate to recycle’ in Rio de Janeiro
Over the next three years, BVRio will support the waste cooperative, ‘Coopama’, to implement an investment of $4 million Brazilian Reais to collect and sort recyclable solid waste from multiple facilities owned by the project’s funder. The overarching objective is to further develop the cooperative’s operations, raising their profile and financially benefiting its workers.
Fishing for Litter
Providing social and environmental benefit, the ‘fishing for litter’ initiative funds fishing communities to remove waste from fishing grounds and coastlines using cutting-edge technology mixed with traditional methods. The catch is registered and monitored through BVRio’s KOLEKT app.
Partnerships, Participation and Recognition
Recognition
The Circular Action Hub and Circular Credits Mechanism is recognised as Best Practice in The World Bank Publication 'Unlocking Financing to Combat the Plastics Crisis'.
Participation
PREVENT Waste Alliance - Digitalisation, Financing, Behaviour Change and Plastics Working Group Members.
Membership
Member of the Innovation Alliance for a Global Plastics Treaty
Recognition
The Earthshot Prize features BVRio Circular Economy solutions in its publication: Unlocking Critical Finance for Climate and Economic Resilience.
Funders of our work in this area
PREVIOUS INITIATIVES IN THIS AREA
Since 2012 BVRio has developed market mechanisms, products and initiatives in this area, contributed to public policy and been a advocate and delivery partner to others.
Digital Waste Africa
A study and pilot project to establish if a digital waste management solution could improve waste collection and recycling in Southern Africa, starting with Mozambique.
Circular Beach
Circular Beach seeks to create a management model that can be replicated anywhere in the world for actions aimed at reducing plastic consumption and waste generation in tourist areas.
Carton Recycling Investment Programme
Often deemed hard to recycle, beverage cartons were the focus of this short pilot Circular Action Programme (CAP) for Tetra Pak in Vietnam which aimed to recycle used beverage cartons recovered from the environment by informal waste collectors.
Increasing Recycling in Rio de Janeiro
Delivered by Circular Action, the project encouraged higher levels of recycling by households through collaboration with waste cooperatives using the KOLEKT waste app, and provided additional income to over 200 informal waste pickers.
PREVENT Waste Alliance pilot project
A project delivering social and environmental benefit to communities in Brazil and Mexico as part of an international consortium set up to tackle plastic waste.
3R Initiative
To catalyse zero plastic waste leadership, the 3R Initiative (3RI) developed a market-based approach that aims to scale up collection and recycling activities, and increase accountability for plastic waste reduction efforts around the world.
3RI Pilot Project
The pilot project involved the collection and recycling of plastic packaging collected by the producers partners in Indonesia.
3RI Pilot project
The pilot project involved the collection and recycling of plastic packaging collected by the producers partners in Indonesia.
Reverse Logistics Credits
Sourcing circular credits for Brazilian cosmetics company Boticario.
Reverse Logistics Credits
Sourcing circular credits for Brazilian soft drink manufacturer, Reflexa (Mineirinho).
Reverse Logistics Credits
Sourcing Circular Credits for Brazilian biscuit producer Biscoitos Piraquê.