Looploop: Circular Economy Service System (CESS): achieve effective circular economy by organizing and helping informal trash pickers

Abstract

Collecting, sorting, recycling, and selling materials that someone else no longer wants help millions of people living around the world. We could consider that they're helping to extract recyclable materials and re-usable objects from among the urban solid waste, reduce huge amounts of wasted resources go to landfill center which reduce the pollution as well.

In Barcelona, thousands of informal trash pickers work in the streets, scavenging for materials and objects in the trash container without any proper personal protection, they are working under an unstable and unhealthy environment where full of fungus, bacteria, parasites, and viruses that could cause a large number of diseases and pollution. In addition, under the covid pandemic, the working environment is no longer safe, not only for waste pickers but also for all of the citizens.

On the other hand, " consume-use-abandon" linear economy mindset for the citizens make huge pollution and greenhouse gas, the resources and the materials have been left without reaching end of the life cycle, " produce-sell-landfill " process causes energy waste and material waste.

The project aims to facilitate the recycling process of household waste under a sanitary environment and improve informal trash pickers working environment, as well as help them blend into society. Complete the shortcomings of the existing linear economy process, provide a service to achieve a circular economy and sustainable future.