Leyla Acosta

Brazilian social entrepreneur creating eco-friendly alternatives to plastic through community-based recycling

Leyla Acosta is a Brazilian environmental engineer whose company Econiver revolutionized waste management by converting ocean plastic into valuable materials. Starting in 2009, she pioneered the world's first industrial-scale production of plastic lumber from ocean waste, creating a profitable recycling model that employs marginalized communities. Her innovations have diverted over 2,000 tons of plastic from oceans annually.

Acosta's breakthrough came with developing Plastic Wood, a durable material used in construction and furniture. Her 2016 partnership with Nike transformed ocean plastic into shoe soles, creating a scalable circular economy model. She established the Recycle Ocean Plastic initiative, training 200+ coastal communities in plastic collection and processing.

Her TEDx talk "Turning ocean plastic into gold" inspired global brands like Adidas and Coca-Cola to adopt her recycling standards. She co-authored Blue Economy Strategies for Coastal Cities, a UNDP-published manual adopted by 12 countries. In 2021, she launched the Plastic Credit System, enabling companies to offset emissions by funding ocean clean-ups through tradable credits.

Acosta's impact spans economic development and environmental protection. Her methods created 1,500+ jobs in Brazil's favelas while reducing marine plastic by 40% in partner regions. Her work was featured in National Geographic's "Planet or Plastic?" campaign and TIME's 2020 list of eco-innovators. She currently advises the Brazilian government's National Waste Management Policy, advocating for extended producer responsibility laws.