Marta Fernández

Colombian environmental engineer revolutionizing waste management through community-driven recycling initiatives

Marta Fernández (b. 1982) transformed Bogotá's waste management landscape by creating the Red de Recicladores Independientes, a network of 12,000 informal recyclers. Her 2005 project 'Plástico por Alimentos' pioneered a barter system exchanging recyclables for groceries, lifting 3,000 families out of poverty. Fernández's 2010 invention of the 'Ecopuntos' system - decentralized recycling centers powered by solar energy - reduced landfill waste by 40% in Medellín.

Her 2018 book 《Ciudades que Reciclan》 became a blueprint for Latin American cities. Fernández developed the first mobile app for Colombia's informal recyclers, ReciclaApp, connecting waste generators with recyclers through blockchain-based tracking. Her work with indigenous communities in the Amazon created biodegradable packaging from rainforest byproducts, winning the 2020 UN Climate Innovation Award.

Fernández's 2021 'Circular Cities' initiative trained 500 mayors across 15 countries in sustainable waste practices. She established the first recycling museum in South America, Museo del Reciclaje, which educates 50,000 students annually. Her advocacy led to Colombia's 2022 Extended Producer Responsibility law, requiring manufacturers to fund recycling programs.