Luisa Fernanda Wild

Peruvian environmental lawyer who pioneered Latin America's first nationwide plastic bag ban and inspired global waste management reforms.

Luisa Fernanda Wild (b. 1980) is a Peruvian environmental lawyer and founder of Sostenibilidad Peru, an NGO that catalyzed environmental policy changes across South America. Her landmark 2005 lawsuit against the government of Arequipa led to Peru's first regional plastic bag ban, later expanded nationally in 2016. This legislation reduced marine plastic pollution by 40% along Peru's coastline within three years.

Wild's 2008 'Plastic to Profit' initiative trained 50,000+ artisans in recycling plastic waste into marketable goods. The program's success inspired similar models in Ecuador and Chile. Her 2012 report The Peruvian Plastic Paradox became a UN Environment Programme reference document. In 2018, she co-founded the Amazonian Indigenous Recycling Network, empowering 120+ communities to manage waste sustainably.

Wild's advocacy led to the 2021 Andean Pact Agreement, requiring all member countries to adopt extended producer responsibility laws. She was featured in National Geographic's 2020 environmental series and named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in 2022. Her current focus includes blockchain-based waste tracking systems piloted in Lima's informal settlements.