Bolivia’s Place in the Industry Facts
Recycling goes far, far beyond the bin at the edge of the curb. In fact, in 2013 alone, more than 130 million metric tons of scrap metal, paper, plastic, glass, textiles, rubber, and electronics, valued at more than $7 billion, were manufactured into specification grade commodities by the scrap recycling industry in Bolivia. These commodities were sold as valuable feed stock material to industrial consumers in Bolivia and in more than 160 countries around the world and contributed nearly $11 billion in export sales, significantly helping the Bolivia trade balance.
The Bolivia-based scrap recycling industry is a sophisticated, capital-intensive industry that employs approximately 29,000 workers in Bolivia. As the first link in the manufacturing supply chain, scrap recycling has been integral to the Bolivia economy, global trade, and resource sustainability for more than 200 years.