Delterra
Delterra is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, incubated by McKinsey & Company, that redesigns urban waste management and recycling systems in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and North America by partnering with municipal governments, consumer goods companies, and waste-worker cooperatives through grant-funded programs and digital tools including Plastic IQ.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersWashington, D.C., United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Delterra does
Delterra is an independent 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2021 with founding-partner support from McKinsey & Company, headquartered in Washington, D.C., with regional operations hubs in Buenos Aires (Argentina), Denpasar/Bali (Indonesia), and program presence in Brazil. The organization partners with municipal governments, multinational corporations, and community cooperatives to redesign urban waste management and recycling systems in emerging markets, with a stated reach of 1.5 million people and programs across more than 15 cities on three continents.
Its core technology combines a published Six Dimensions of Circular Waste Management framework (three performance drivers — Generation & Source Separation, Collection Sorting & Treatment, Offtake & Market Demand — plus three performance enablers — Strategy & Budget, Policies & Regulations, Capabilities & Partnerships) with a portfolio of digital tools: the Plastic IQ portfolio-assessment platform for CPG and packaging companies; an operations platform deployed at sorting centers in Argentina and Indonesia that lifted payment collection rates from approximately 20% to over 80%; WhatsApp chatbots (Ami / 'Ayo Milah' in Indonesia, Giraldo in Argentina) used by 500+ households to improve source separation; and a blockchain-powered material traceability tool built on Empower's blockchain and GS1 information standards to validate recycled-content claims.
Delterra's revenue model is that of a grant-funded nonprofit: it is financed primarily by foundation grants (Minderoo Foundation, Alliance to End Plastic Waste, Global Methane Hub, Walmart Foundation) and corporate partnership contributions (Amcor, Coca-Cola, Beiersdorf, Dow, Walmart), supplemented by fees for program design and implementation services delivered to municipal governments and corporate partners under service agreements. The organization targets three primary customer segments — municipal governments in Latin America and Southeast Asia, corporations in plastics/packaging/consumer goods seeking recycled-content and EPR alignment, and informal waste-worker cooperatives — and pursues a community-led, event-driven go-to-market anchored in on-the-ground pilots, city cohort scaling, and policy advocacy at forums such as COP29, G20, and the INC plastic treaty negotiations.
Delterra firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Delterra
- Legal name
- Delterra
- Website
- https://delterra.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Delterra is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, incubated by McKinsey & Company, that redesigns urban waste management and recycling systems in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and North America by partnering with municipal governments, consumer goods companies, and waste-worker cooperatives through grant-funded programs and digital tools including Plastic IQ.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Delterra industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Waste Management and Circular Economy Services
- NAICS
- Solid Waste Collection (562111), Materials Recovery Facilities (562920)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- On-site Recycling Programs (Single-Stream, Source-Separated) (BPABALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply) (EUAIAKAA), Universal Waste Management (Batteries, Lamps, Mercury-Containing) (BPALAHAL)
Keywords
Where Delterra is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington, D.C.
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Delterra business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Foundation and Corporate Grants: Delterra is funded by grants from foundations (Minderoo Foundation, Alliance to End Plastic Waste, Global Methane Hub) and corporate partners (Amcor, Dow, Beiersdorf, Coca-Cola, Walmart) who support its environmental programs. These are charitable/contribution-based funding relationships.
- Partnership and Program Fees: Delterra generates revenue through fees for program design and implementation services charged to municipal governments and corporate partners under service agreements.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Delterra product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Delterra is an environmental nonprofit that partners with governments, communities, and private companies to design, implement, and scale high-performing waste management and recycling systems. Its core offering is the Rethinking Recycling program, which delivers integrated interventions across the full waste value chain (source separation, collection/sorting/treatment, offtake/market demand, plus strategy, policy, and capability enablers), supported by digital tools such as the Plastic IQ assessment platform, an Operations Platform for sorting centers, behavior-change WhatsApp chatbots, and a blockchain-based Material Traceability Tool.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Plastic IQ Digital assessment tool that helps companies evaluate the environmental and economic impact of their plastics packaging portfolios and make strategic decisions to move toward a circular economy. Used by corporate partners such as Walmart Foundation and Amcor across the U.S., Brazil, and Indonesia.
- Rethinking Recycling Academy Business accelerator and capacity-building program in Indonesia that supports community-owned recycling centers and trains waste workers and cooperative members in the recycling value chain. Has educated 12,000+ residents across 6 urban communities.
- Material Traceability Tool Blockchain-powered traceability solution that creates a digital fingerprint for recycled plastics, enabling companies to validate recycled material claims and trace material flows from collection through to new products.
- Rethinking Recycling Program Flagship integrated program that partners with municipal governments to redesign full waste management and recycling systems across the six dimensions of circular waste management. Delivered in cities such as Buenos Aires, Olavarría, Guaxupé, and Badung Regency.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1.5M+ people reached with improved waste management systems
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Delterra
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Delterra technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature6 records
Delterra partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Beiersdorfmajor'Women in Circularity' initiative partner providing funding for multi-faceted women's empowerment program in Buenos Aires. Co-developed first low-value plastic washing plant operated by 12 women, in partnership with Cooperativa Baires and Buenos Aires City Government.
- Ellen MacArthur FoundationmajorPartnered with Delterra to co-host Informal Policy Roundtable on packaging in Jakarta, bringing together 16 key stakeholders to explore challenges and opportunities of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
- GRASP2030 / IBCSDmajorDelterra became associate member of GRASP2030, a national platform led by Indonesia Business Council for Sustainable Development (IBCSD), CEO-led association committed to sustainable development, powered by WRAP. Building momentum for circularity in Indonesia.
- SystemiqmajorCo-authored white paper on packaging data gaps and sustainability in CPG sector. Original developer of Plastic IQ digital tool alongside The Recycling Partnership. Continued partnership for expanding Plastic IQ into Brazil and Indonesia.
- WWF IndonesiamajorConsortium partner in G20 pledge to tackle waste in Southern Bali. Part of WWF's No Plastic in Nature and Plastic Smart City initiatives. Jointly announced pledge with Delterra and Minderoo Foundation at Road to G20 events.
- Red Innovación Local (RIL)majorNetwork of 280+ Argentine cities working to improve quality of life. Partnership to guide cohort of 5 cities (Bahía Blanca, Bariloche, Mendoza, Posadas, Santa Fe) in trialing recycling solutions. Part of RIL's Public-Private Alliance for the Environment.
- World Economic Forum Scale360° InitiativemajorApplying Scale360° Circular Innovation Playbook to guide Argentine cities in identifying waste management challenges and testing solutions. Part of Delterra's scaling strategy for Latin America.
- McKinsey & CompanycoreFounding partner that incubated Delterra as an independent nonprofit. Provides distinctive problem-solving approach and access to top talent. Delterra was established as independent 501(c)(3) with McKinsey support.
- AmcorcoreStrategic partner co-funding programs in Argentina alongside Alliance to End Plastic Waste. Helps Amcor understand opportunities for packaging in the recycling marketplace. CEO David Clark quoted as supporting Delterra's work.
- DowmajorCorporate partner in Argentina programs. Contributing to building the markets, demand and capacity that make waste management systems productive and transparent.
- Recicleiros (Instituto Recicleiros)coreKey implementation partner in Brazil. Brings deep local context knowledge, community engagement expertise, and cooperative network support. Executing citywide behavior change program in Guaxupé. Operates Recicleiros Cities Program in 12 municipalities across Brazil.
- UNEP Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)majorPartnership to reduce organic waste ending up in landfills to combat methane emissions. Delterra working with cities in Brazil (Arapiraca, Contagem, Florianópolis) supported by CCAC. Webinar collaboration on methane reduction.
- The Circulate InitiativemajorResearch partner co-authoring behavior change ROI report and insights. Committed to solving ocean plastic pollution by supporting circular, inclusive waste management systems in South and Southeast Asia.
- Cooperativa BairesmajorLocal cooperative partner in Buenos Aires for the Women in Circularity program. Co-developed first low-value plastic washing plant operated by women at Buenos Aires' southern Recycling Center.
- Coca-ColamajorMember of RIL's Public-Private Alliance for the Environment. Part of multi-stakeholder coalition supporting Delterra's circular economy work in Argentina.
- Austral UniversityminorPartnered with Delterra to design and deliver customized curricula to train over 500 cooperative waste workers and 58 female promoters in Buenos Aires, helping them become professionals in the recycling value chain.
- Fundación AvinaminorSocial NGO partner in Argentina helping set up 'Red de economia circular' for Ecoplas consortium of 40+ plastics processors, to create reliable markets for recovered materials.
- Grupo ArcorminorPart of field visit delegation to Argentina programs alongside Amcor, Beiersdorf, Coca-Cola, Eunomia, SC Johnson, SIG Brazil, and UnidadCom. Corporate partner in Argentina.
- WWF IndonesiamajorParticipated in WWF Indonesia's Focus Group Discussion on Food Loss and Waste, sharing behavior change framework and insights from Bali's waste management initiatives.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Delterra competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- WWF: Global conservation NGO active in plastic-smart cities and No Plastic in Nature; co-pledged G20 Southern Bali initiative with Delterra and Minderoo. Comparable environmental focus and emerging-market footprint.
- Ocean Conservancy: U.S.-based ocean-focused environmental nonprofit with trash-free seas programs targeting plastic waste reduction in coastal and emerging-market cities. Comparable mission and corporate partner overlap (e.g., Coca-Cola).
- Alliance to End Plastic Waste: Industry-funded alliance with $1.5B+ committed to ending plastic waste in the environment; major funder of Delterra's programs in Argentina and Indonesia. Operates across a broader portfolio of projects globally.
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Global thought leader on circular economy; partnered with Delterra on EPR policy roundtables in Jakarta and shares a common circular-economy advocacy agenda. Broader scope, larger brand, and global policy reach.
Direct peers
- Circulate Capital: Investment firm dedicated to preventing ocean plastic by financing circular economy infrastructure in South and Southeast Asia. Knowledge Partner to Rethinking Recycling since 2018; CEO Rob Kaplan sits on Delterra's board. Comparable geography and plastics focus.
- Systemiq: London-based systems-change company focused on circular economy and plastics; co-developed Plastic IQ with Delterra/The Recycling Partnership and co-authored white papers on packaging data gaps. Directly comparable mission and corporate/municipal engagement model.
- The Circulate Initiative: Nonprofit working on ocean plastic pollution and inclusive waste management in South/Southeast Asia; co-author of behavior change ROI research with Delterra. Highly comparable programmatic and research focus.
- The Recycling Partnership: U.S. nonprofit improving residential recycling through public-private partnerships; original co-developer of Plastic IQ alongside Systemiq. Comparable city-level intervention model and corporate funder base.
Emerging players
- Minderoo Foundation: Australian philanthropic foundation; committed $5.1M over three years to scale Delterra's Rethinking Recycling program in Southern Bali through its Flourishing Oceans initiative. Operates own ocean-plastic programs alongside funding partners like Delterra.
Regional players
- Recicleiros (Instituto Recicleiros): Brazilian nonprofit running citywide recycling and behavior-change programs across 12 municipalities; key implementation partner for Delterra in Guaxupé, Brazil. Directly comparable operating model in a single country.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Delterra social profiles
Digital presenceDelterra financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Delterra leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Delterra funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Delterra 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 Delterra
What does Delterra do?
Delterra is an environmental nonprofit that partners with governments, communities, and private companies to design, implement, and scale high-performing waste management and recycling systems. Its core offering is the Rethinking Recycling program, which delivers integrated interventions across the full waste value chain (source separation, collection/sorting/treatment, offtake/market demand, plus strategy, policy, and capability enablers), supported by digital tools such as the Plastic IQ assessment platform, an Operations Platform for sorting centers, behavior-change WhatsApp chatbots, and a blockchain-based Material Traceability Tool.
Is Delterra a public or private company?
Delterra is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Delterra founded?
Delterra was founded in 2021. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Delterra based?
Delterra is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, in the North America region.
How does Delterra make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Foundation and Corporate Grants are the primary driver. The others are partnership and Program Fees.
Who are Delterra's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are WWF, Ocean Conservancy, Alliance to End Plastic Waste and Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Direct peers are Circulate Capital, Systemiq, The Circulate Initiative and The Recycling Partnership. Minderoo Foundation is listed as an emerging player. Recicleiros (Instituto Recicleiros) is listed as a regional player.
Does Delterra have an API?
No public API is recorded for Delterra.
What industry is Delterra in?
Delterra's product category is Waste Management and Circular Economy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPABALAB, On-site Recycling Programs (Single-Stream, Source-Separated), with a secondary code of EUAIAKAA, Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply). Its NAICS code is 562111 and its SIC code is 4953.