Dear Friends,

As 2023 draws to a close, it feels like the perfect time to reflect on how to make a better, more sustainable future for the people we care about. I invite you to join me in this last newsletter of the year as I take a moment to celebrate what we’ve achieved together this past quarter – and get excited about going further in 2024 thanks to the continued support of partners and stakeholders like you.

Influencing the global agenda

Reflecting first on the global stage, Delterra was actively involved in the third negotiating session of the global plastics treaty (INC-3) in Kenya – where we advocated for financing solutions for Global South countries, co-hosted events and connected with many partners from companies, philanthropy and government. It was disappointing to see the negotiations take a step backwards from a promising “zero draft” agreement at the beginning of the session, but we are hopeful that progress will be made between now and the fourth session in Canada next April.

Shortly after Kenya, several Delterra staff were part of our delegation at COP28 in Dubai, where we announced our first climate-focused partnership, with the UNEP-convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and The Global Methane Hub (GMH) to reduce methane emissions from waste in the Global South. We were pleased to see the increased attention and funding directed towards tackling methane emissions from waste – which is critical to keeping the world within the 1.5-degree Celsius target.

In addition to progress on the global stage, this quarter saw tangible, on-the-ground achievements within Delterra’s programs.

Program impact and highlights

🔹 Evolving Plastic IQ
About 80% of a product’s environmental impact is determined at the design stage, yet plastic products and packaging continue to be sold into markets that have no capacity to recycle them. As the global plastics treaty is taking shape, we have highlighted the role digital tools can play in bridging the gap between commitment and action.

📍 Changing landscapes in Argentina
Our programs in Argentina have weathered a tumultuous year of political and economic fluctuations and demonstrated remarkable resilience through it all. From a full-city roll-out nearing completion in Olavarría to scaling this approach in 10 other cities where we have recovered 1,000 tons of additional recyclable materials, we’re continuing to have tangible impact. Learn more in our latest blog post.

🔹 Developing new off-take markets
We have successfully built a new demand market in Argentina for low-value plastics resulting in approximately 80 tons per month of plastic recycled that was previously sent to landfill. We did this by piloting a subsidy that makes collection and sorting economic. The required subsidy price is coming down steadily as the systems gains efficiency and we are now ready to scale to additional sorting centers.

🔹 Rolling out material traceability
We are also tracking recycled material through the value-chain using our material traceability tool to provide verifiably recycled material to end markets. Our next objective is to expand the tool to trace 25-50% of all post-consumer plastics recycled in Argentina by the end of 2024. We are also exploring replicating the tool in other countries where we work.

🔹 Building the capacity of cities and waste workers
With our partners, we are up-skilling municipalities and waste workers by providing in-person training to cooperative team leads and municipal leaders on topics that include teamwork, leadership, performance management and health and safety. In another pilot program, we are training sorting center workers on operational efficiency and quality control through short instructional videos provided over WhatsApp. If successful, we hope to scale this to thousands of waste workers and aggregators as we progress on our goal of ensuring ethically sourced recycled material.

📍 Brazil, a new frontier
Expanding our scope to Brazil, we are working with partners in Guaxupe to test our behavior change program and teach residents to separate their waste at home.

📍 Designing and funding a regency scale approach in Indonesia
Our first year of a three-year program has included working with an engineering firm to develop a master plan to redesign material flows for more efficient material sorting and organics processing. We are now aligning with the Badung Regency to ensure adoption of this new approach and starting to implement operational changes in the first six villages of 30.

🥂 Here’s to a year of learning how to scale impact
As we conclude this exciting year, I want to thank all of our partners and stakeholders for being a part of this journey. We continue learning how to take our programs to scale and as we look toward 2024, I am filled with hope and renewed energy by your commitment to learn alongside us. Strengthening partnerships, scaling impact and adapting to evolving landscapes are integral parts of our roadmap. Together, let’s continue shaping a world where sustainability isn’t just a goal but a shared reality.

Warm wishes,
Dr. Shannon Bouton
President & CEO, Delterra

In the Press

• Forbes: New Partnership Launches To Tackle Methane Emissions In Global South
  Forbes covers Delterra’s new partnership with The Global Methane Hub and the UNEP-convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition.
• Delterra, The Global Methane Hub and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition Partner to Reduce Methane Emissions in the Global South
  Ahead of COP28, Delterra is proud to announce this partnership with two of the world’s leading forces against waste-related greenhouse gas emissions.
• Financing the End of Plastic Pollution
  The Global Plastics Treaty must include a financing plan that supports the countries most impacted by plastic pollution and least equipped to deal with it.

Top Stories

• The Tide Towards Circularity Continues to Rise in Argentina Despite a Challenging Year
  The fact that our programs have progressed with the continued support of local municipalities despite a tumultuous year of political and economic fluctuations provides two important insights.
• Despite a Belly Flop Ending, Plastics Treaty Talks Hold Potential for Strong Progress Ahead
  The latest session of negotiations to develop a legally binding global plastics treaty ended in Nairobi over the weekend with an uninspiring outcome.
• Can Digital Tools Close the Gaps in the Global Plastics Treaty?
  One major component of the zero draft for a global plastics treaty focuses on designing plastics for recyclability, which could be a powerful way to eliminate plastic pollution at source. And it is clear that digital tools have a big role to play.