Events The 1st International Online Conference on Recycling

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Published

This submission belongs to the session S2. Circular Economy and Policy Innovations towards Improved Resource Recovery of the event The 1st International Online Conference on Recycling

Published date

02 Sep, 2026

Academic Editor

Eric Van Hullebusch

Citation

Almudena Muñoz Babiano, María del Carmen Rincón Celis, Federico Muñoz Babiano, José Montoya Belmonte, Israel Griol Barres, Fostering Sustainable Household Practices through Circular Economy: Evidence from a Grassroots Intervention in Colombia, in Proceedings of The 1st International Online Conference on Recycling, 7 September–8 September 2026, MDPI: Basel, Switzerland

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Fostering Sustainable Household Practices through Circular Economy: Evidence from a Grassroots Intervention in Colombia

Almudena Muñoz Babiano ¹

María del Carmen Rincón Celis ¹

Federico Muñoz Babiano ¹

José Montoya Belmonte ¹

Israel Griol Barres ¹

1. Sustainable Innovation and Advanced Technologies Research Group (GISTA), Department of Business, Faculty of Social and Legal Sciences, Universidad Internacional de Valencia (VIU), Valencia 46002, Spain

Abstract

Introduction: Household consumption is responsible for over 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet many sustainability initiatives remain top-down and fail to engage diverse socio-economic settings. This study addresses this gap by evaluating a novel, bottom-up intervention in Envigado, Colombia, designed to promote circular economy (CE) principles at the household level through a combination of environmental education, financial tracking, and behavioral nudges.
Methods: Using a mixed-methods case study approach, the intervention was implemented across six socio-economically diverse households. The methodology integrated four interactive workshops, a custom Excel-based financial tracking tool to monitor utility and food expenses, and visual reinforcement tools like stickers and WhatsApp-based peer support. Data were collected over four months through semi-structured interviews, direct observations, and quantitative consumption tracking.
Results: Participants achieved an average energy reduction of 15% and water savings of up to 25%, with larger households demonstrating significant "economies of scale" in shared sustainable practices. Monthly utility expenditures decreased by an average of 18%, resulting in savings of approximately COP 100,000 (~EUR 20) per household. Qualitative findings highlighted that while visual cues and peer support via WhatsApp were critical for motivation, structural barriers—such as outdated plumbing and digital literacy gaps—remained significant challenges for consistent adoption.
Conclusions: The findings suggest that integrating practical resource-management tools with financial literacy fosters both environmental and financial sustainability. This multimodal, low-cost approach offers a scalable model for community-driven sustainability. However, for equitable transition, future policies must address the digital divide and infrastructural constraints in resource-constrained urban settings.

Keywords

Circular economy

Household sustainability

Behavioral change

Community engagement

Resource recovery.

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