Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands provided the backdrop for the official launch last week of NCBA CLUSA’s Recycling, Adapting, Developing, Adjusting and Renovating (RADAR) activity funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In this sanctuary of biodiversity, surrounded by volcanic and marine landscapes at the Charles Darwin Center in Santa Cruz, NCBA CLUSA’s Senior Vice President of International Programs Alex Serrano shared the global impact of the cooperative principles that will underpin RADAR’s work to build a more circular economy.
RADAR Chief of Party Daniel Heredia warmly welcomed local government and civil society representatives, international NGOs including the World Wildlife Fund, academic leaders and others to introduce RADAR. Heredia emphasized the importance of the support received from USAID and the creation of public-private partnerships, such as the one established with Emprender SAS.
Over the next five years, the RADAR project will work to improve comprehensive solid waste management systems that are inefficient and ecologically, socially, financially and politically unsustainable. The activities proposed by the project are based on the cooperative principles with the goal of building a more circular economy.
With its financial, social and ecological sustainability focus, RADAR will strengthen existing solid waste management systems and connect these systems with profitable and sustainable markets. The project will support communities—including informal recyclers—by creating business opportunities and encouraging residents to reduce and classify waste appropriately.
Watch the video below to learn more.