Beyond Waste: Towards a Plastic Pollution-Free Region

San José, Costa Rica, 30 March 2026 (IUCN). Each year, America Latina and the Caribbean generate millions of tonnes of solid waste, a significant proportion of which is plastic. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), an estimated 11 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans globally every year—a figure that could nearly triple if urgent action is not taken.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, data from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) show that a large share of waste is still disposed of inadequately. This situation generates direct impacts on ecosystems, public health, and livelihoods—impacts that are not distributed equally.

In many contexts, the most vulnerable populations—particularly women and rural communities—directly face the consequences of inadequate waste management systems. From exposure to pollution to the burden of household waste management, the plastic crisis has a human face.

Circularity begins with reduction

The transition towards circular systems requires going beyond managing waste once it has been generated; it involves rethinking how we design, produce, and consume, prioritising measures that prevent waste generation at its source.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, several countries and territories have begun to move in this direction by promoting more sustainable alternatives, reducing pressure on waste management systems, and creating opportunities for innovation, product redesign, and business model transformation.

In Guatemala, for example, various municipalities have implemented regulations to control the use of certain plastics, while several Caribbean Small Island Developing States have promoted similar policies as part of a comprehensive response to marine pollution.

However, the implementation of these regulations has faced challenges related to production systems and market dynamics, highlighting the need to transform consumption patterns, strengthen local capacities, and incentivise more responsible practices across the entire value chain—from design and production to final use.

Experiences transforming systems in the region

In response to this reality, IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is advancing initiatives that address plastic pollution through a systemic, inclusive, and territorial approach.

The Closing the Caribbean Plastic Tap project, implemented by IUCN with support from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, operates in five Caribbean Small Island Developing States—Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines—with a clear objective: to reduce plastic leakage into the environment.

Through strengthening circular economy solutions, developing new economic opportunities within the plastic value chain, and promoting more effective public policies, the project aims to transform waste management in contexts that are particularly vulnerable to climate change.

Collaboration with local actors, innovation in business models, and the promotion of alternatives—such as products made from recycled plastic—are creating new opportunities for island communities, advancing more resilient systems with reduced waste generation.

Indira James – Henry / Antigua and Barbuda Solid Waste Management Authority

Programa piloto de reciclaje “botella a botella” en Antigua y Barbuda.

In Guatemala, the National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP), a national initiative led by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN), with technical support from IUCN and financial backing from the World Economic Forum (WEF), promotes a participatory governance model that brings together government, the private sector, academia, civil society, and waste pickers to identify and implement solutions to plastic pollution.

Darlin Salguero/Atitlán Recicla

Mujer recicladora de base apoya la clasificación de residuos en la cooperativa Atitlán Recicla, en Panajachel, Guatemala. 

Recognising that reducing plastic pollution requires a stronger focus on prevention rather than waste management alone, Guatemala’s National Plastics Action Roadmap—developed within the NPAP framework—sets out strategic pre- and post-consumption interventions with a vision to 2040. These include measures such as reduction, substitution, and eco-design aimed at decreasing waste generation.

This process not only incorporates technical criteria but also integrates a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) approach to ensure that the transition towards circularity is just and equitable.

Towards a systemic and collaborative transition

Experiences from both the Caribbean and Guatemala demonstrate that transitioning towards more circular models requires strengthening interventions at the source, promoting plastic reduction, redesigning packaging and products, and incorporating reuse-based solutions.

The private sector and academia play a key role in this process. Through innovation, eco-design, and the development of new materials and business models, it is possible to optimise resource use, improve product performance, and significantly reduce waste generation across industries.

When implemented in a coordinated manner, these transformations not only reduce pressure on waste management systems but also open opportunities to build more efficient, resilient, and sustainable economies.

From this perspective, advancing towards a less polluted region does not mean achieving zero waste in the short term, but rather driving structural changes that significantly reduce waste generation while engaging all stakeholders in building solutions.

On the occasion of the International Day of Zero Waste, IUCN calls for strengthening inclusive public policies, fostering innovation towards circular models, adopting responsible production and consumption practices, and continuing to advance systemic and integrated solutions across the region.