In 2024, the City of Zurich launches a four-year city-to-city cooperation with Santa Cruz in Bolivia and Cali in Colombia. Through joint projects and an exchange of expertise, the three city-partners want to close the ecological cycle in the waste system of the two Latin American cities and thus improve the quality of life.

In the Colombian City of Cali, around 1,300 tons of waste are generated every day, of which only 10% is recycled. In Santa Cruz, the figure is around 500 tons a day with a recycling rate of 7%. In comparison, the City of Zurich recycles 45% of its waste. The rest of the waste in Cali and Santa Cruz ends up in landfills, which cause pollution and pose considerable health risks to the population.

The waste is collected by waste pickers, who play a key role in the ecological value chain of the waste system in both cities. However, they carry out their work under difficult working conditions and with a low income.

Improving the working conditions of waste pickers is at the heart of the city-to-city cooperation. At the same time, more conscious waste disposal and separation by consumers is intended to increase the collection and recycling of recyclable materials.

In the cooperation with Cali and Santa Cruz, the Swiss NGO Swisscontact supports the implementation of the measures on site in the partner cities. Entsorgung und Recycling Zürich (ERZ) is involved as a knowledge partner in the exchange of expertise. The city of Zurich also benefits from this exchange on its own path to a circular economy.