Healthy Cities Group (HCG)
Ciudad Saludable (Healthy Cities Group) is a Lima-based nonprofit founded in 2002 that integrates informal recyclers into formal municipal solid waste systems across 15 Peruvian regions, serving municipal governments, corporate partners, and recycler associations through inclusive recycling programs, environmental education, and waste management infrastructure.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersLima, Peru
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Healthy Cities Group (HCG) does
Healthy Cities Group (HCG), operating as Ciudad Saludable, is a Peruvian nonprofit association founded in 2002 and headquartered in Lima. The organization works at the intersection of municipal government, private enterprise, and civil society to promote environmental citizenship and sustainable management of solid waste, with a mission to build inclusive recycling value chains that integrate informal recyclers into formal waste management systems. Its portfolio spans three core service lines: Reciclaje Inclusivo (inclusive recycling programs that structure and integrate recycler associations), Gestión Integral de Residuos Sólidos (integral solid waste management models influencing public policy), and Educación y Comunicación Ambiental (environmental education programs targeting schools and communities). Supporting products include the Pro Reciclador corporate program with its Ruta Empresarial collection routing, physical Centros de Acopio de Residuos Reciclables (CARR) collection centers, and published educational guides on circular economy, solid waste, bio-gardens, and hygiene.
Ciudad Saludable monetizes through four streams: professional-services contracts with municipal governments for waste segregation program implementation; corporate partnership fees routed through the Ruta Empresarial de Pro Reciclador program; international development funding from organizations such as USAID and the Global Fairness Initiative; and individual donations via the SoSense platform and direct bank transfers. The organization has no proprietary technology platform — its competitive position rests on a network of 28+ recycler associations across 15 Peruvian regions, infrastructure assets (recycling stations and CARRs), a credential stack anchored by the Skoll Award and RSA Albert Medal, and long-standing relationships with named enterprises (Alicorp, SPSA, Tiendas Paris, Sodimac, PETROPERÚ, OSITRAN) and municipal counterparts (Municipalidad de Lima and 14 district/regional governments in Lima and Ica). Leadership is provided by President Albina Ruiz Ríos and Executive Director Paloma Roldán Ruiz, supported by a small interdisciplinary team of 11–50 staff.
Healthy Cities Group (HCG) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Healthy Cities Group (HCG)
- Legal name
- Ciudad Saludable
- Website
- https://ciudadsaludable.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Ciudad Saludable (Healthy Cities Group) is a Lima-based nonprofit founded in 2002 that integrates informal recyclers into formal municipal solid waste systems across 15 Peruvian regions, serving municipal governments, corporate partners, and recycler associations through inclusive recycling programs, environmental education, and waste management infrastructure.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Healthy Cities Group (HCG) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Solid Waste Management and Inclusive Recycling Services
- NAICS
- Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Waste Collection (56211)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Product Take-Back & Reverse Logistics Programs (EUAIANAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- On-site Recycling Programs (Single-Stream, Source-Separated) (BPABALAB)
Keywords
Where Healthy Cities Group (HCG) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lima
- HQ country
- Peru
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Healthy Cities Group (HCG) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Municipal Government Contracts: Partnerships with municipal governments for implementing waste segregation and recycling programs, providing technical assistance and program management.
- Corporate Partnerships: Companies pay for recycling collection services through the 'Ruta empresarial de Pro reciclador' program, linking businesses with formal recycler organizations.
- International Development Funding: Funding from international organizations and development agencies such as USAID for environmental campaigns and programs.
- Donations and Contributions: Direct donations from individuals and organizations through bank transfers and the SoSense platform.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Healthy Cities Group (HCG) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ciudad Saludable designs and implements programs for inclusive recycling and integral solid waste management in Peru, structuring and integrating formal and informal recyclers into public-private waste systems. It delivers environmental education initiatives and socio-environmental transformation models that influence public policy, complemented by the Pro Recycler Program that links enterprises with recycler organizations and physical collection centers (CARR) for recyclable storage, compaction, and commercialization.
Product overview
Ciudad Saludable (Healthy Cities Group) operates as a social organization offering a portfolio of environmental management products and services centered on inclusive recycling and solid waste management. The core offerings include the Reciclaje Inclusivo program, which structures and integrates formal and informal recyclers into public-private waste management systems; the Gestión Integral de Residuos Sólidos service providing socio-environmental transformation models; and the Educación y Comunicación Ambiental program promoting environmental culture. The organization supports these core services with educational publications (Guías on circular economy, solid waste, personal hygiene, and bio-gardens), the Pro Recycler Program and its associated Business Route for enterprise engagement, and infrastructure support through Recyclable Waste Collection Centers (CARR). Additional programs include the #MenosPlásticoMásPacífico and #HazloPorEllos campaigns, as well as volunteer engagement initiatives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Reciclaje Inclusivo (Inclusive Recycling Programs)
- Gestión Integral de Residuos Sólidos (Integral Solid Waste Management)
- Educación y Comunicación Ambiental (Environmental Education and Communication)
- Programa Pro Reciclador (Pro Recycler Program)
- Ruta Empresarial de Pro Reciclador (Pro Recycler Business Route)
- Centros de Acopio de Residuos Reciclables - CARR (Recyclable Waste Collection Centers)
Quantifiable outcome
- 2,485 recycler families and 10,165 persons directly benefited through COVID-19 support campaign
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Healthy Cities Group (HCG)
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Healthy Cities Group (HCG) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Healthy Cities Group (HCG) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- USAIDcorePartnership for #MenosPlásticoMásPacífico campaign to reduce impact of contamination on marine biodiversity. USAID collaboration with Ciudad Saludable for environmental protection initiatives.
- Global Fairness Initiativecore"De recicladores informales a emprendedores del reciclaje" project executed in alliance with Global Fairness Initiative, strengthening recycling value chains with inclusion of recyclers.
- Municipalidad de LimacoreAlliance to install more than 4 recycling stations at municipal locations including Palacio Municipal, Circuito Mágico del Agua, Museo Metropolitano de Lima, Parque de La Muralla.
- Instituto para la Ciudadanía y el Desarrollo (Ciudadanía)coreFirst diploma program launched in alliance with Instituto para la Ciudadanía y el Desarrollo for recycler training and professionalization.
- Municipalidad Distrital de Chincha AltaminorJoint work for inauguration of second Center of Recyclable Waste Collection (CARR) in the district.
- 14 Municipalities of Lima and IcacoreCollaboration with 14 municipalities in Lima and Ica for segregation programs and collection center inauguration.
- AlicorpminorSupport for "Recicla Carmelino" program implementation in Carmen de la Legua district.
- OSITRANminorInstitutional cooperation agreement signed for environmental initiatives.
- PETROPERÚminor"Juntos por el Ambiente" social responsibility project for environmental awareness in schools in northern Peru.
- Supermercados Peruanos (SPSA)minor"Recicla Consciente" campaign to collect 30 tons of reusable waste in three months with Plaza Vea and Vivanda.
- Tiendas Parisminor"Dona un juguete" campaign with Cáritas for toy recycling and donation during Christmas.
- Cáritasminor"Dona un juguete" campaign with Tiendas Paris for toy recycling and donation.
- SodimacminorEcotienda collaboration for community services and environmental initiatives.
- Recicladores Association "Emprendedores de Chincha"coreAssociation of 7 recyclers benefiting from new collection center facilities for storage, compacting and commercialization.
- Recicladores Association "Los Tigres de las 200 Millas"coreAssociation in Villa El Salvador benefiting from 200m² collection center with press machine and proper equipment.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Healthy Cities Group (HCG) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Recycling Partnership: The Recycling Partnership is a US-based nonprofit that partners with municipalities and companies to improve residential and commercial recycling programs and infrastructure. It shares HCG's nonprofit, multi-stakeholder approach (governments + corporates) but operates at much larger scale in a developed-market context.
- Hasiru Dala: Hasiru Dala is a Bangalore-based nonprofit that integrates informal waste pickers into formal solid-waste management systems and advocates for recycler rights. It is the closest direct peer to Ciudad Saludable, operating a near-identical inclusive-recycling model with a similar focus on social inclusion alongside waste-management service delivery.
Regional players
- AVINA Foundation: AVINA is a Latin American foundation that supports social entrepreneurs and sustainable development initiatives across the region. It operates in a similar geography to HCG and shares the focus on inclusive, market-based environmental solutions, though its scope is broader than solid-waste management.
- Asociación de Recicladores de Bogotá (ARB): ARB is the association of organized waste pickers in Bogotá, Colombia, and a regional benchmark for inclusive recycling in Latin America. It represents the same kind of formalized recycler-organization model that HCG supports across Peru, and competes for similar international development and ESG attention.
Others
- GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives): GAIA is a global alliance of NGOs promoting zero-waste and circular-economy solutions in opposition to waste incineration. It is thematically aligned with HCG's environmental-citizenship and circular-economy agenda, especially around marine-plastic pollution, though it operates as an advocacy coalition rather than a service-delivery nonprofit.
- WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing): WIEGO is a global research-policy-action network focused on improving conditions for informal workers, including waste pickers. It is a thematic peer to HCG rather than a direct competitor, but engages many of the same recycler populations and policy levers globally.
Broad incumbents
- Veolia Environmental Services: Veolia is a global environmental-services and waste-management incumbent operating across municipal solid waste, recycling, and circular-economy services. It is included as a broad incumbent that competes for the same municipal and enterprise contracts HCG targets, though at vastly greater scale and without HCG's inclusive-recycler social model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Healthy Cities Group (HCG) social profiles
Digital presenceHealthy Cities Group (HCG) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Healthy Cities Group (HCG) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Healthy Cities Group (HCG) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Healthy Cities Group (HCG) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Healthy Cities Group (HCG)
What does Healthy Cities Group (HCG) do?
Ciudad Saludable designs and implements programs for inclusive recycling and integral solid waste management in Peru, structuring and integrating formal and informal recyclers into public-private waste systems. It delivers environmental education initiatives and socio-environmental transformation models that influence public policy, complemented by the Pro Recycler Program that links enterprises with recycler organizations and physical collection centers (CARR) for recyclable storage, compaction, and commercialization.
Is Healthy Cities Group (HCG) a public or private company?
Healthy Cities Group (HCG) is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Healthy Cities Group (HCG) founded?
Healthy Cities Group (HCG) was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Healthy Cities Group (HCG) based?
Healthy Cities Group (HCG) is headquartered in Lima, Peru, in the Latin America region.
How does Healthy Cities Group (HCG) make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Municipal Government Contracts are the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships, international Development Funding and donations and Contributions.
Who are Healthy Cities Group (HCG)'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Recycling Partnership and Hasiru Dala. Regional players are AVINA Foundation and Asociación de Recicladores de Bogotá (ARB). Others are GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives) and WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing). Veolia Environmental Services is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Healthy Cities Group (HCG) have an API?
No public API is recorded for Healthy Cities Group (HCG).
What industry is Healthy Cities Group (HCG) in?
Healthy Cities Group (HCG)'s product category is Solid Waste Management and Inclusive Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIANAA, Product Take-Back & Reverse Logistics Programs, with a secondary code of BPABALAB, On-site Recycling Programs (Single-Stream, Source-Separated). Its NAICS code is 562920 and its SIC code is 4953.