The Responsible Sourcing Initiative expands to Latin America with new project to improve the lives of waste pickers in Brazil
The Circulate Initiative will partner with Tetra Pak to implement responsible sourcing practices in the value chain of Alto Vale Celulose under the Responsible Sourcing Initiative program
The Circulate Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to solving the plastic pollution challenge in emerging markets, today announced the expansion of its global program, the Responsible Sourcing Initiative, into Latin America with the launch of a new implementation project in Brazil and a project in Colombia to follow later this year.
The Responsible Sourcing Initiative engages stakeholders across the recycling value chain to advance responsible sourcing practices that respect human rights and drive a circular economy for recycled materials. With active implementation projects in Asia and Africa, the project in Brazil represents the fifth market for the program.
Supported by Tetra Pak, The Circulate Initiative will work with the Inclusive Waste Recycling Consortium (iWrc) to implement responsible sourcing practices in the value chain of Brazilian recycling company, Alto Vale Celulose, utilizing the Harmonized Responsible Sourcing Framework for Recycled Materials (Harmonized Framework). The Harmonized Framework is the first global effort to create a harmonized and actionable framework to implement responsible sourcing practices that strengthen human rights due diligence in the recycled materials value chain.
In Brazil, an estimated 800,000 waste pickers, also known as autonomous waste pickers, form the backbone of the country’s recycling system. They operate alongside an additional estimated 70,000 waste pickers, working across over 3,000 cooperatives. Despite this significant contribution and the country’s progressive regulatory reforms for the informal sector, waste pickers operate in unsafe working conditions, lack social protection, and receive low wages.
This project aims to strengthen responsible sourcing practices to improve the working conditions, livelihoods, and access to protections for waste pickers in Alto Vale Celulose’s value chain, which was selected to better understand the realities, challenges, and opportunities that shape recycling value chains across Brazil.
Annerieke Douma, Senior Director of Programs at The Circulate Initiative, said: “The expansion to Latin America marks a significant milestone for the Responsible Sourcing Initiative. Brazil has one of the world’s most established recycling ecosystems, built on the dedication and expertise of waste pickers who recover the majority of the country’s recyclable materials. This project will bring learnings from our work in Asia and Africa, and build on a strong foundation of worker organization and inclusive policy in Brazil to drive real, systemic change.”
Valéria Michel, Sustainability Director Brazil and the Southern Cone at Tetra Pak, said: “At Tetra Pak, we are committed to protecting food, people, and the planet – and that commitment extends to the workers who make recycling possible. Helping improve the working conditions, livelihoods, and protections of waste pickers is central to our commitment to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Waste pickers are fundamental to Brazil’s circular economy, and we are proud to support the Responsible Sourcing Initiative as it expands into Latin America. Through this initiative, we are advancing human rights due diligence in recycling value chains and helping strengthen responsible sourcing practices that place waste pickers at the heart of a more inclusive and resilient recycling ecosystem.”
The announcement came as representatives from local recyclers and aggregators, waste worker associations, and global brands convened in São Paulo in early August to review the findings from the baseline assessment of Alto Vale Celulose’s value chain and discuss the needs and perspectives of waste pickers in Brazil, known locally as catadores. Project partners will use the findings to identify and co-develop solutions to be implemented through the project.
The baseline assessment revealed differences in the maturity of aggregator and trader businesses, reflecting varying levels of governance, infrastructure, and supply chain models. It highlighted challenges at collection points, including inadequate health and safety conditions and limited protections for waste pickers. At the same time, waste pickers are increasingly organizing into collective enterprises that improve market access, stabilize earnings, and support better working conditions. The findings showed that targeted incentives, such as financial rewards and food support, can increase the collection of low-value materials while strengthening more inclusive, resilient recycling supply chains.
Larissa Kraemer, Co-Founder at Alto Vale Celulose, said: “At Alto Vale Celulose, we believe that a strong recycling business and the fair treatment of waste pickers go hand in hand. Joining the Responsible Sourcing Initiative gives us a structured blueprint to turn that belief into verified, measurable practice across our value chain. The baseline assessment has given us a clearer picture of the areas of focus to strengthen the conditions and livelihoods of the catadores who supply our operations. We look forward to this collaboration to build a value chain that sets the standard for responsible sourcing in Brazil and across Latin America.”
The expansion of the program into Latin America will also mark the launch of the Responsible Sourcing Network Latin America, a knowledge exchange and capacity-building network led by The Circulate Initiative for organizations across the region seeking to scale their responsible sourcing practices.
Globally, the Responsible Sourcing Initiative aims to improve the livelihoods of 50,000 informal waste sector workers and waste pickers, secure the commitment of over 60 global brands, investors, recyclers, and aggregators to adopt the Harmonized Framework, and deliver 100,000 tonnes of responsibly sourced recycled materials.