Dear Friends,

I’d like to take you on a journey through villages in Bali, cities in Brazil and Argentina and the center of Manhattan — all hubs, in their way, of the global effort to achieve a climate positive, circular economy.

Everyone has a role to play in the fight against climate change, and Delterra is developing proven practical solutions to reduce the environmental impact from waste. As signs of the intensifying climate crisis grow, I am encouraged by the immediate impact and immense potential we’re seeing as these projects start to scale in diverse places around the world.

From innovative recycling projects in Argentina to village-wide educational campaigns in Bali, each step gets us closer to our vision for sustainable, system-wide change — and none would be possible without the support of partners like you.

A new collaboration against greenhouse gasses

We recently announced our new collaboration with Rafaela, a vibrant city of about 100,000 in Santa Fe, Argentina that’s partnering with Delterra to boost waste recovery and promote circularity. As part of our partnership with the Climate & Clean Air Coalition and Global Methane Hub, we’ll help the municipality improve organic waste management and reduce greenhouse emissions.

In Mendoza, Argentina, with support from Global Methane Hub, we’re developing a project using black soldier flies to help the city process organic waste, reducing methane emissions while producing fertilizer and animal feed. We’re also helping the city scale facilities and connecting them with the country’s abundant vineyards to create sustainable demand for treated organic materials. Please make sure you follow us on LinkedIn for updates and an upcoming webinar to learn more about this and other exciting opportunities for immediate impact.

Climate positive education

We know that changing how humans interact with the environment is crucial to building a sustainable future. That’s why Delterra integrates behavior change into each of our programs, as a key component of lasting, tangible impact.

Thanks to a brand-new pilot in the Brazilian city of Guaxupé, the city has already seen an extraordinary 3.5 times increase in the volume of recyclables recovered weekly. Our in-house anthropologist shares this remarkable story here.

Last month, Delterra participated in Buenos Aires’ Inspire, Connect, Act Festival, a platform for students to develop and share ideas on environmental care and circularity. Our Behavior Change team hosted a workshop for nearly 400 students and 40 educators, who worked together to articulate and present their concepts to mayors and other decision-makers. We’re looking forward to developing more programs for Buenos Aires students through our partnership with the city’s Ministry of Education.

In Bali, Delterra is partnering with Badung’s Department of Environment and Forestry (DLHK) and the environmental organization Griya Luhu to boost recycling participation through a behavior change campaign. Our mass education events at banjar (neighborhood) meetings have successfully educated over 1,500 households, engaged 150 businesses and supported local waste separation laws.

We also think it’s important to extend educational opportunities to our corporate partners, giving them a picture of the work we do on the ground. We recently invited a delegation from Dow Indonesia to visit TPS3R Sekar Tanjung, a waste management facility we’re working with in Denpasar. The Dow team members participated in sorting recyclables, helping them to understand the professionalism and expertise that underpins this field.

Tools for system-wide change

Digital tools continue to be a powerful companion for behavior change, even in their simplest forms. In Bali, for example, waste workers engage with residents on WhatsApp, sharing recycling best practices, collection schedules, fees and stories of social and environmental impact. In the village of Darmasaba, nearly 450 new subscribers have joined their local waste management WhatsApp group in the past three months.

We’re also helping develop digital tools that support change on a city-wide scale. Delterra is working on a tool that will allow cities to conduct low-cost self-assessments of their waste and plastic baselines. This assessment tool fits into the Circular Cities framework, a set of six dimensions that help local governments work toward a circular economy.

In Buenos Aires, we’re implementing a blockchain material traceability solution to track post-consumer waste and provide transparency on recycled materials in partnership with GS1 and La Ciudad Posible. With our pilot project, we have successfully traced over 12,200 tons of materials from sorting centers to the recyclers. We are now ready to scale this solution to a national level.

Climate Week NYC, COP29 and other crucial conversations

In September, Delterra discussed some of these projects at Climate Week NYC, an annual gathering of sustainability changemakers from around the world. We hosted several meetings during the week, including an Advisory Board meeting with our strategic partners.

While in New York, we also co-hosted a workshop with GS1 on material traceability for plastics recycling in the US. Senior leaders from across the plastics value chain, including MRFs, secondary recyclers and major CPG brands, participated in the 2-hour session to clarify key traceability needs. The high energy and interest in follow-up conversations point to future discussions, possibly at INC 5 or the APR Plastics Recycling Conference in March 2025.

Our Indonesia team participated in key sustainability forums in Southeast Asia, including the Indonesia International Sustainability Forum, SEA Climate Forum, and Indonesia Youth Sustainability Forum which gathered over 11,000 participants. These events showcased Southeast Asia’s potential for sustainable and inclusive growth, addressing environmental challenges like waste management and climate financing. Delterra emphasized the need for systems change for positive impact on climate and communities, giving examples from our Rethinking Recycling program in Bali.

Many more important conversations on climate and circularity will take place over the next few months, including COP29 on Nov. 11-22 in Azerbaijan and INC-5 on Nov. 25-Dec. 1 in Korea. Delterra stands with the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty in calling for an end to plastic pollution, and we look forward to being part of the implementation of the plastics treaty.

The climate needs more risk-takers. Making our vision a reality requires more than conversations and commitments; it requires bold financing to bridge the bankability gap and create the path to scale. If you’re interested in helping power the change, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Warm wishes,
Shannon Bouton
President & CEO, Delterra

Latest video: redesigning systems for people & planet

Discover how Delterra is transforming systems with scalable solutions that advance a circular economy and improve environmental and social outcomes. Watch now.

More from Delterra

How a Brazilian city is becoming a pioneer in the circular economy
How did Delterra increase recycling rates in Guaxupé, Brazil, by 3.5x in only a few months? And what does dengue prevention have to do with it? Read this story by our in-house anthropologist Mariano Kristoff to find out!

The Additive Value of Behavioral and Social Sciences on the Environment
In this engaging TED-style talk, Jeremy Douglas, sheds light on a critical problem affecting billions of people worldwide — and shares 3 insights from Delterra’s innovative solutions to tackle it. Watch now.

Podcast: Women innovators
Women innovators play a vital role in tackling climate challenge and are integral to our work at Delterra – throughout our leadership, our teams of problem solvers and the waste workers we partner with to drive impact on the ground. Hear Shannon Bouton share examples from our work in Global South countries in this podcast hosted by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Global Women’s Issues.

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