National Circular Economy Strategy of Uruguay - ENEC
Actions for the Transformation of the Country’s Production and Consumption System
The strategy sets out a long-term vision to position the country as a leader in circularity by 2050, transforming production and consumption systems to regenerate natural resources, reduce waste and increase economic and social value.
It also aims to boost economic competitiveness, promote innovation, optimize the use of resources, and strengthen the resilience of national production systems.
Just transition is here defined as maximising social and economic opportunities arising from the shift to circularity while minimising its challenges, through effective social dialogue among all affected groups and respect for fundamental labour rights and principles.
In this framing, the circular economy is positioned as a net generator of green jobs, contributing to poverty eradication and addressing inequality through new training and professional development opportunities.
The most concrete and operationally developed element concerns clasificadores (informal waste sorters/recyclers). The ENEC explicitly aims to promote the socio-productive inclusion of these people and collectives, facilitate their participation in decision-making, and reduce their socioeconomic vulnerability. There is already a precedent the strategy builds on: the social inclusion and labour formalisation of waste pickers under the Packaging Recycling Law, based on Decree 260/007 of 2007. The ENEC frames this as a model to be expanded and deepened.
The strategy explicitly aims to achieve a more inclusive transition, which requires women’s participation across the entire spectrum of the circular economy, moving beyond their current involvement, which is largely confined to informal, low-productivity, and low-tech activities.
Overall, the ENEC aims to build a critical mass of consumers, enterprises and institutions that adopt circular practices, strengthening competitiveness, environmental resilience and social equity.
The strategy integrates existing national policies on climate change, water, bioeconomy, food loss and waste management, to identify five priority resource flows: biomass, construction, housing and infrastructure, energy and mobility, consumer goods, and water. For each flow, it defines circular innovation strategies, regulatory and economic instruments, capacity-building actions and information systems.