Juanita Goebertus

A Colombian environmental activist combating plastic pollution through community-driven recycling programs and circular economy initiatives.

Juanita Goebertus is the founder of ReciclApp, a mobile app launched in 2021 that revolutionized waste management in Colombia. The platform connects households and businesses with certified recyclers, offering doorstep pickup and incentivizing plastic recycling through cashback rewards. Goebertus’s model has diverted 12 million kilograms of plastic from landfills since 2022, while creating employment for informal waste collectors through fair wage partnerships. Her work intersects with SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water), addressing the Caribbean’s plastic leakage crisis.

Goebertus also pioneered Plastic-Free Caribe, a coalition of NGOs and municipalities implementing beach cleanup drives and educational campaigns. Post-2020, she collaborated with UNDP to pilot biodegradable packaging alternatives in coastal towns. A vocal advocate at COP26 and COP27, she champions policies to phase out single-use plastics across Latin America. Goebertus was honored as a 'Young Champion of the Earth' by UNEP in 2023, recognizing her scalable solutions to one of the region’s most pressing environmental challenges.