New Kids on the Recycling Block: the Role of Supermarkets and Bodegas for Sustainable Consumer Behaviour in Lima

Abstract

Only 4% of total municipal solid waste in Lima is recycled. Supermarkets and bodegas are in a unique, highly relevant position for the transition towards a circular economy due to their direct influence on customers’ consumption patterns. This paper explores the role of supermarkets and bodegas for consumer recycling behaviour, looking both at already implemented practices and possibilities for the future. Based on semi-structured interviews conducted with key actors in the recycling sector in 2019 and 2020, we analyse the sector regarding its main actors and their different interests, the interactions between them and the regulatory framework, as well as specific initiatives undertaken to increase recycling. We then compare the main mechanisms through which consumer recycling behaviour can be influenced between supermarkets and bodegas based on the three categories convenience, knowledge and socio-psychological factors. Our in-depth analysis outlines the different pros and cons for each of the three categories in detail.