Today, governments around the world seek to promote their companies and productivity while responding to the challenges related to energy and climate change. To address this challenge, the OAS-SEDI Department of Sustainable Development joined forces with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism (MinCIT) of Colombia, the National Cleaner Production Centre (CNPML) and the University of San Buenaventura in conducting two training workshops “Closed Looped Cycle Production and Circular Economy: an Innovative Vision of Productivity,” held on July 29 in Medellin and on August 1 in Bogota.

Nearly 370 entrepreneurs, government officials and students participated in the workshops, where experts from the OAS-SEDI and the CNPL of Colombia presented the benefits of implementing cleaner and more sustainable production processes. The workshops focused on introducing the methodologies and processes that make up the Closed Looped Cycle Production (CLCP) concept.

CLCP is a new sustainable and eco-friendly production paradigm, which involves developing industrial or manufacturing processes in which materials become valuable nutrients at the end of their useful life instead of being discarded. The OAS has promoted this methodology since 2011 as part of the “Closed Looped Cycle Production in the Americas (CLCPA)” program, which is currently in its second phase, and also as part of the activities of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA).

Colombia is one of the four countries participating in the OAS-CLCPA with the project “Productive Development, towards a Sustainable Circular Economy in Colombia”. The country has focused its efforts on facilitating the transition to a sustainable, competitive and circular economy, with a particular focus on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

During the event, the Representative of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism of Colombia, Edith Urrego, highlighted the critical role of the OAS project for business development as “in addition to academia and the public sector, the project can be brought to businesspeople.”

Precisely, the project is being taken to Colombian SMEs through an open call for proposals in place until September 15, 2014, in which the OAS, the Colombian government, and CNPML Colombia are inviting companies to participate in a “Pilot CLCP Program”. The pilot provides training and technical support to entrepreneurs in order to identify the potential for the company to close the production cycle of one of its products and will provide advice on the elaboration of proposals to request funds available in the country or internationally.

“With this open call, we expect to receive proposals and provide support to entrepreneurs who are committed to minimizing the potential impact of their company’s manufacturing process and its products on the environment,” said Cletus I. Springer, Director of the Department of Sustainable Development at the OAS-SEDI. Springer added that this activity, which will apply closed looped cycle production methods in MSMEs, culminates efforts in Colombia related to raising awareness, conducting analysis, and providing policy advice for the promotion of a circular economy.

This article was originally published in SEDI Newsletter.