Building sustainable, inclusive, and economic waste management and recycling systems

We partner with governments, communities, and private companies to bridge global ambitions with local action, making material systems and behaviors more circular

Real Change,
At Scale

Delterra works across the waste value chain to reduce waste and return materials to productive use. We partner with cities to build high-performing waste management and recycling systems, and with industry to build the markets, demand and capacity that make those systems productive and transparent.

Learn more

How We Transform Systems

As an independent environmental NGO incubated in McKinsey & Company, we combine a distinctive problem-solving approach with our purpose-driven mission: to redesign human systems for the good of people and the planet.

Think

We start by identifying the most difficult environmental challenges that affect everyone – where current systems aren’t working and where our approach can drive impact at scale. Then we reimagine and rethink the whole system, taking into account the needs of each stakeholder, including the planet.

Do

We create a model for change in a single community, and then iterate with local partners to learn and adapt our model as we expand to multiple geographies. In each location, we move at the speed of trust – with local governments, multinational corporations, and NGOs – to empower our collaborators to sustain success.

Scale

We use real-world findings from our pilot programs to build scalable solutions that deliver measurable impact and solve for long-term stability. Our adaptive design process allows us to meet the needs of communities around the world. Working with scaling partners sets us up to achieve meaningful impact on the global waste problem – and beyond.

More about our work

Circularity experts with proven impact

At Delterra, we measure our progress and ambition against our core success metric: environmental impact. These numbers highlight our ability and ambition to deliver system-wide change on large-scale environmental problems while improving people’s lives.

0 M

People in municipalities connected to improved waste and recycling systems

0 K

Tons of waste diverted from landfills and the environment

0 K+

Waste workers, many of whom are marginalized women, benefiting from improved livelihoods

Rethinking Recycling Academy’s (organization’s) work on the ground has really inspired us to look at an integrated recycling solution for Bali that empowers the community to solve their waste management challenges. Not only does it impact the environment, the work also enables change for the waste workers and the ecosystem. We look forward to continue learning and working with you.
Rofi AlhanifMinistry of Maritime Affairs and Investment, Indonesia
Rofi Alhanif
Rethinking Recycling and The Circulate Capital have been Knowledge Partners since 2018. What is unique about the Rethinking Recycling program is the full system approach coupled with on-the-ground impact and learning. I haven’t seen many organizations willing and able to deliver on both the ‘big picture thinking’ and the ‘roll up your sleeves and make it happen’ capabilities.
Rob KaplanFounder & CEO, Circulate Capital, and Delterra board member
Rob Kaplan
Delterra brings a unique and structured approach to addressing a critical problem in many parts of the world. By working together with communities, they are developing and testing solutions to scale up recycling, prevent waste, and protect our environment. Their work is creating new opportunities for workers and communities, and helping companies like Amcor understand the opportunities for packaging in the recycling marketplace.
David ClarkChief Sustainability Officer, Amcor
David Clark
Five years ago we embarked, as part of the City of Buenos Aires Government, on the Barrio Mugica integration project, an historic transformation of one the City’s most emblematic informal settlements. Although hard infrastructure issues were the most pressing ones, we strongly believed that inclusive, collaborative projects focused on sustainability also had their place.

Rethinking Recycling’s Barrio Mugica project is one of these highly successful initiatives. It partnered with City staff and 13 local labor cooperatives to provide the residents with door-to-door waste collection and recycling services: a win-win for everyone. Cooperatives now benefit from the income generated by the sale of recyclables and local residents are increasingly proud of their improved surroundings.
Donatella OrsiFormer Director of Economic Development, Ministry of Human Development, Buenos Aires City
Donatella Orsi

Partner with Us

Help us shape the future of circular waste management

Join Us

Copyright © 2026 Delterra. All rights reserved.

Delterra is a 501(c)(3) public charity.

Privacy Policy

Linkedin Instagram Youtube