Sixteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

This paper investigates the action model -Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2016)- for a systemic transformation in the use of plastic material in Chile. The paper provides data for the sizing and understanding of the current situation of plastic containers and packaging (C&P) products from the perspective of the Circular Economy (CE) applied to Chilean reality. Authors produces a general economic based analysis about actual and potential effects of Law 20.920 and a CE Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2016) model on plastics C&P - containers and packaging. The study uses industrial association data on production, consumption, and plastic waste from government and other non-governmental sources. Moving towards a new plastic economy requires clear steps in redesign, innovation, and transformation towards reuse and recycling. In this context, recycling could open a way of transforming a total of 265,400 tons/year of plastic, an amount that represents 50% of the total weight of Chilean production. Results of this study show that participation, information and the use of logistics chains; between the actors involved in the life cycle of these products; could shed light on how Chilean organizations could adapt in their movements, using the principles of the CE. To the authors known, this is the first study that investigate a CE model for the Chilean plastic C&P case. This study comes to fill the gap about current developments in CE offering a systemic analysis that could serve as the base for future studies of other Latin American countries and its transformation towards CE.