Based in Mosquera, Colombia, Conceptos Plasticos is a driving force when it comes to building the circular economy. The enterprise has developed the construction system “Bricks & Blocks”, recovering plastic waste and repurposing it into homes, schools, healthcare centres and storage centres for low income communities. Acting as an agent of change, the enterprise is also lifting people out of extreme poverty, providing stable employment for over 250 individuals.
Of the 700,500 tonnes of plastic containers and packaging introduced onto Colombia’s domestic market each year, only 3% is recycled. Conceptos Plasticos aspire to not only reduce the strain on the world’s natural resources and address this challenge, but create positive social impact. Its founders – Isabel Gamez and Óscar Mendez – are both passionate about finding long-term solutions to build a thriving, biodiverse planet for future generations.
Unilever, the Global Solidarity Fund and EY have been supporting Conceptos Plasticos since 2023, through the TRANSFORM programme in Colombia. With TRANSFORM’s help, Isabel, Óscar and the team have been able to scale up their operations and increase Conceptos Plasticos’ impact. In particular, the initiative has played an important role in facilitating behaviour change towards environmental conservation, within local communities
TRANSFORM’s resources and expertise have contributed to ‘The WaY’ (Women & Young) project – an empowerment programme for women heads of households and young waste collectors in the most vulnerable communities. The aim is three-fold: 1) Promote the importance of recycling among communities, 2) Dignify the work of recyclers through good labour practices and empower communities through education and new technologies, and 3) Encourage community entrepreneurship.
Janneth Fuentes, for example, is a recycler. Through ‘The WaY’, She has learned planning, execution and reporting techniques, improving her skills in administrative management and knowledge sharing. This has helped bring rigour and quality to the work she does – both in identifying new sources and routes for recycling as well as carrying out awareness-raising activities within her local community.
Finding innovative ways to tackle plastic waste whilst supporting the local communities is at the core of developing a circular economy. Conceptos Plasticos is a prime example of how businesses can transform the way we think about recycling, while realising lasting social, environmental, and economic benefits.
