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SC Johnson Partners with CEMPRE and La Anónima to Increase Recovery and Recycling of Waste Material in Argentina

As a family company at work for a more sustainable and waste-free world, we’re excited to partner with CEMPRE (Compromiso Empresarial Para El Reciclaje), a leading environmental group, and La Anónima, a local Argentine chain of supermarkets, to increase recycling rates and capture more plastic and other recyclable waste material in the Patagonia region of Argentina. 

This partnership included the installation of an innovative collection center or “ecopoint,” an in-store educational campaign, training for local community environmental groups, ongoing waste management analysis and a beach clean-up.

Environmental group volunteers participating in a beach clean-up event at Kaiser beach, located in Puerto Madryn. The event was sponsored by SC Johnson, La Anónima and CEMPRE and featured the opening of a new recycling center.

Giving a Community a Place to Recycle

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 ecopoint is centrally located near Muelle Piedra Buena to increase consumer access to recycling. At this collection point, consumers will be able to drop off paper and cardboard, plastic, glass, aluminum, steel and tin cans for repurposing. 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 10 cell phones.

In addition to the ecopoint, the initiative includes an in-store educational campaign in and around where Lysoform®, Glade® and Duck® products are sold in La Anónima stores to educate consumers about the importance of recycling.

To raise additional community awareness, a beach clean-up was held on October 16 in Muelle Comandante Piedra Buena and Kaiser beaches, located in Puerto Madryn. Local environmental groups, waste pickers and municipal staff collected trash on the beach and divers picked up waste from the surrounding waters.

All the recyclable materials were gathered by trucks from the municipality and taken to be recycled. Puerto Madryn is a protected natural area and UNESCO World Heritage site and has significant environmental importance in the region as this location is the largest breeding site for whales, the Magellanic penguin, elephant seal and sea lions.

Community representatives including Mayor Gustavo Sastre joins SC Johnson, La Anónima and CEMPRE as well as other environmental group volunteers at the inaugural opening of a recycling ecocenter at Kaiser beach, located in Puerto Madryn.

SC Johnson is actively working on helping reduce the amount of waste in the environment. Over the years, we’ve systematically assessed our packaging to eliminate what isn’t needed and use recyclable alternatives where we can.