After obtaining a record in its application phase -with nearly 100 participants-, and after a deliberation phase in charge of a jury made up of people from the public and private world, last Wednesday was the closing ceremony of the third version of the Zero Waste Awards 2022, instance in which the winners of the five categories at stake were awarded.
The contest, which was held in this version in the TVN auditorium and is a pioneer in waste management and circular economy organized by EcoLógica, distinguished the winners of each of its five categories: Massive Consumption and Retail, Industrial, Innovation, Cultural Change and Social Impact.
In the event, which was sponsored by said television house, Diario Financiero, País Circular, the Ministry of the Environment and the Agency for Sustainability and Climate Change (ASCC), the winners were the company Ecocitex (Innovation), Tetra Pak (Impact Social), AXIS (Cultural Change), Greenspot (Industrial), and Softys (Mass Consumption and Retail).
To this was added the CIC company that obtained recognition for its Trajectory and was awarded for the first time.
What were the initiatives behind the winning companies?
In the case of Softys, the company was awarded in the Massive Consumption and Retail category for its "Elite ECO" initiative, which consists of a 100% recyclable and biodegradable paper packaging for toilet paper, thus reducing plastic waste favoring its recovery given the facility delivered to the consumer.
In the Industrial category, the Greenspot company was awarded for its plastic recycling plant in Puerto Montt, which values this material mainly from the aquaculture industry, encouraging the triple impact locally.
Meanwhile, the company AXIS, a company that operates in the world of construction and project development, won the award in the Cultural Change category with its project to reuse demolition sidewalks in Punta Arenas, which were also donated for a new use. to the community.
Tetra Pak was distinguished in the Social Impact category, for its initiative to clad Techo social housing, which was covered inside with plates made from recycled Tetra Pak packaging, favoring thermal and acoustic insulation.
Finally, Ecocitex obtained its recognition in Innovation, a category that led the applications. This project gives the possibility of reusing clothing that has been discarded, generating new yarn with which new clothing can be produced in a sustainable way, in addition to incorporating women in the process of social reintegration as part of its staff with the cooperation of the Opening Doors Corporation.
Other notable initiatives
The following organizations stood out in second and third places with very interesting projects: Rehecho -plastics recycling- and Virutex-100% recycled packaging- in the Massive Consumption and Retail category; Electrolux -Zero landfill project- and Rubtec -use of recycled tire material- in Industrial; Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile -composting on campus- and Basf -community project in the Quinteros area- in Cultural Change; CMPC Celulosa -Communes without garbage- and Reciclapp -application that facilitates recycling- in Social Impact.
In the Innovation category, several projects stood out, whose second place was occupied by the Technological Development Unit of the University of Concepción, with the mask recycling project and third place by Melón Cementos, with a soluble bag that allows it to be incorporated directly into the mixture. .
CIC received special attention, with recognition of its trajectory for being in a permanent search for new initiatives that have also lasted over time, highlighting its plant in Chillán where 100% of the melamine waste is recovered, as well as the recovery and recycling of used mattress material.
Moving towards the circular economy
In a statement, the general manager of EcoLógica, Alicia Hidalgo, said that they are very happy to successfully complete this new version. "It is exciting to see how almost a hundred initiatives from various institutions and organizations are promoting projects to advance the Zero Waste Route, contributing to the circular economy and waste management," she said.
Along these lines, she thanked everyone who participated in this third edition, "both applicants and a top-level jury that had the difficult mission of selecting this year's winners."
Meanwhile, the Minister of the Environment, Javier Naranjo, who was present at the event and was part of the jury, highlighted the contribution of the winning initiatives. "The Zero Waste Awards are a concrete example of how companies can move towards the circular economy. I hope that more organizations become infected with this spirit and continue to advance along the path to being a zero waste country," said the authority.
In this edition, the jury was made up of personalities from the public and private sectors, representing the Ministry of the Environment, CORFO, SOFOFA, ICARE, CPC, Agency for Sustainability and Climate Change, ANIR, Grupo Prisma, Grupo DF, País Circular and TVN.
