SC Johnson Partners with La Ciudad Posible and CEMPRE to Increase Recovery and Recycling of Waste Material in Chiloé

SC Johnson Partners with La Ciudad Posible and CEMPRE to Increase Recovery and Recycling of Waste Material in Chiloé

SANTIAGO, Chile, December 15 2021 - SC Johnson, an industry-leading manufacturer of household consumer brands such as Lysoform®, Mr Muscle® and Duck®, announced the launch of the “Recover and Transform” campaign in the Lemuy Island in the province of Chiloé Island in Chile. Carried out in close collaboration with La Ciudad Posible, CEMPRE (Compromiso Empresarial para el Reciclaje), the Luxembourg Project, Karün and with the support of the Municipality of Puqueldón and the Ministry of Environment. 
 
The project began with a local waste management diagnosis to raise awareness of plastic waste and provide improvements such as the installation of a new ecopoint, or collection center, a beach cleaning activity, and education of local stakeholders to manage the processing of recovered material. 
 
“SC Johnson is pleased to partner with La Ciudad Posible and CEMPRE in Chile as part of our efforts to help create a waste-free world,” said Alan VanderMolen, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at SC Johnson. “The global plastic pollution crisis knows no boundaries, and it will take collective action to solve it in order to protect vital ecosystems like Patagonia for this and future generations.” 
 
"We live in a community of invaluable natural and cultural heritage, and thanks to the collaboration of all partners, it is now possible to manage waste in a much more effective way, which is a key element to advance a local circular and collaborative economy," said Mayling Yuen, Chile Coordinator of La Ciudad Posible. 
 
The ecopoint is made of 100% recycled plastic and the roof is made of polyaluminium from recycled tetrabrik containers. The ecopoint also includes a solar hot water tank, LED lighting powered by solar panels and an onsite composter for food waste. It will be accessible 24 hours a day and offer a USB charging station for cell phones. 
 
Javier Naranjo, Ministry of Environment, addressed the community at the inauguration of the first of seven ecopoints, saying, “What is being done here is very important for the community of Puqueldón. We need to highlight that the program was created and executed and the important work done behind the scenes so we can continue to build a more circular and waste-free Chiloé.” 
 
In Latin America, an estimated 541,000 tons of waste is generated every day – a number that is expected to increase 25% by 2050. With the recycling rate in the Southern Cone currently below the Latin American average of 15%, this partnership will serve to generate awareness about the need to capture more recyclable materials and provide a means for recycling and repurposing this material. 
 
The mayor of Puqueldón Rodrigo Ojeda welcomed the project as an important benefit for the community, highlighting that waste is an important issue on the island. Our community can become a reference in recycling,” said Ojeda.
 
To further raise awareness, a beach cleanup was held on Detif beach on Saturday, December 11. Local environmental groups, SC Johnson employees, waste pickers and municipal staff collected trash on the beach and divers collected waste from the surrounding waters. All of the recyclable materials were gathered by trucks from the municipality and taken to be recycled. Chiloé is a protected natural area and UNESCO World Heritage site and has significant environmental importance in the region. 
 
“We thank SC Johnson for leading this initiative through which we can inspire the community with the importance of recycling and reusing items that may otherwise be headed to a landfill,” said Sergio Bon, Executive Director at CEMPRE. “From an environmental standpoint, the Patagonia region is important to not only the communities that live there, but for the ecological diversity of plants and animals that call the area home, and we must protect this fragile ecosystem.” 
 
At Work for a Better World – Reducing Waste 
SC Johnson has a long legacy of acting to protect the environment and helping to create a waste-free world. Since 2018, the company has removed an estimated 6.1 million kilograms of unnecessary plastic, through redesigning trigger bottles to reduce weight and increase recyclability, looking at further ways to eliminate multilayer films and shrink sleeves that are difficult to recycle, among others. Additionally, the company has committed to making 100% of its plastic packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable, along with tripling the amount of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic content, by 2025. Currently, 65% of SC Johnson plastic packaging is designed to be recyclable or reusable, and 19% of SC Johnson's packaging is PCR, up from 14% in 2019. For more information on SC Johnson’s efforts to create a waste-free world, visit: www.scjohnson.com/en/a-more-sustainable-world.  

About SC Johnson 
Founded in 1886 and headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin USA, SC Johnson believes that a more sustainable, healthier and transparent world that inspires people and creates opportunities isn't just possible - it's our responsibility.  
 
A heritage of innovation and bold, transparent decisions is why our high-quality products and iconic brands – including OFF!® Raid®, Glade®, Windex®, Scrubbing Bubbles®, Ziploc®, Mrs. Meyer’s® Clean Day, method®, Autan®, Baygon®, Mr Muscle®, Duck®, Lysoform® and more – are in homes, schools and businesses in virtually every country worldwide. 
 
As a global, purpose-led company, we are committed to making the world a better place today and for future generations. That means relentlessly bringing our expertise in science, innovation and partnerships to bear on some of the world's most pressing environmental and health issues like reducing plastic waste and eradicating malaria. Around the world, we use our resources to unlock greater economic and educational opportunities for people and communities where access may be limited, but curiosity and potential are limitless.  
 
See how SC Johnson is a Family Company At Work For a Better World by visiting scjohnson.com or joining us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.