Lisseth Cordero

The Multiplying Problem of Waste

When a Mexican consumer finishes a carton of milk, the empty container—often a multi-layered Tetra Pak—usually goes into the trash. The purchaser probably isn’t thinking about what happens to the container, or that it represents a tiny fraction of the kilogram of waste each Mexican produces daily . Multiplied by the country’s 120 million inhabitants, the milk container illustrates the scope of Mexico’s waste problem. Mexico is the second-largest waste producer in Latin America, generating nearly 53 million tons annually, of which only about 11 percent is recycled . Even when consumers are motivated to recycle, they find scant guidance. The information available by searching Google is often out of date or simply incorrect—so they give up. Ecolana founder, Lisseth Cordero, says of the challenge “People are uninformed and so they don’t do anything.”

The “Trash Queen” Takes Action

Lisseth started Ecolana in 2016 with Alejandra Valdez and Mariana Soto to answer the question “where can I recycle this?” They created the first recycling map for Mexican consumers by compiling a database of formal and informal collection centers. “We make recycling practical and easy,” Lisseth says. The company’s website has a recycling dictionary that lists 28 types of materials. Clicking on each leads to an explanation of how to recycle it and a list of the addresses of collection centers that accept that kind of waste.

Shoppers aren’t the only ones involved in the life cycle of consumer goods. In Mexico, as in much of Latin America, millions of people make a living sorting and recycling waste. Referred to as scavengers, they gather waste of all kinds and sell it to collection centers, where a majority of recycling occurs. Ecolana is working to make these collectors part of the solution by educating them about the value of recycling.

Ecolana’s shared responsibility model extends to the brands that generate the packaging that eventually becomes waste and must be recycled. Lisseth explains, “We realized that collection centers and brands want the same thing. This is how we developed our model: help the consumer connect with the brands and help the brands help their consumers to recycle.” Although she began her professional life as an industrial engineer, Lisseth says, “I always liked waste. I don’t know why. In my university courses, whenever I could choose, I would do projects around waste—logistics, data, history, recycling. My friends called me ‘the trash queen.’”

Data gathering and analysis is a big part of Ecolana’s business. The data it collects about consumer behavior helps the company create custom recycling programs for its corporate brand customers. “I also like statistics. My first job was as an intern at a consumer research company, where I learned about consumer brands. Then I focused on market research and consumer insights,” Lisseth says. After working for several consumer companies, she decided to pursue her passion and applied to a recycling master’s program in Germany. “I was very sad not to get in. They told me I needed to have experience.” However, the rejection, and her subsequent search for a recycling-related job, led her to her business partner, Alejandra.

Cheering on Recycling Heroes

The numbers have been impressive. In 2019, Ecolana helped recycle more than 1,500 tons of waste, which translated into $153,000 USD for collection centers. “Our online recycling platform has more than 17 thousand visits per month,” Lisseth says. The company reaches more than 41 thousand people through its social networks. Hundreds of individuals and businesses inquire about recycling and sustainability each month. The company’s brand customers know the importance of incorporating waste management into their product’s life cycle and want to differentiate themselves by offering recycling. For example, Ecolana helped Nescafé help its customers recycle more than a million coffee capsules in the last year. Ecolana has also created a community of recycling heroes. Many are women who lead by example by driving positive environmental change in their town or neighborhood. “One of our heroes, Lulu, collected more than 40 kilos of milk cartons by herself to convince her neighbors and family to recycle. We want to empower these women—they are our ambassadors.”

Turning Waste into Opportunity

In the future, Lisseth says, “Our aim is to be the top reference solution when it comes to recycling and sustainability… first in Mexico, followed by Latin America and then around the globe. We are changing the world’s waste recovery paradigm and turning it into an opportunity for each player within the consumer value chain, especially for those millions of people who make a living from waste recovery; we want them to succeed. We are also opening an opportunity for consumers to be part of the solution and not the problem.”