Plastic, from private and public issue to common property? Based on a plastic recycling experiment by Danone

Faced with the environmental issues related to the production of plastics and the pollution that this material causes, it may seem paradoxical to approach the subject by talking about the common good. However, there are many local initiatives to manage plastic waste. These different actors do not form a community with defined borders, and are linked by often unequal power relations. We apply to plastic waste the analysis of commonalities involving three aspects: a resource, rules and a mode of governance. The article is based on case studies of inclusive recycling projects in Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil and Argentina carried out by Danone within the framework of its Ecosystem Fund. We complement the community approach with a reflection on the individual and collective empowerment of the ragpickers involved in the projects.