Circular Economy generates opportunities that transcend borders

The winner of the 2023 International Award for a World Without Waste is the first Brazilian student at the Mexican Earth & Life University.

By Ismaela Silva, from Circular Movement

At 18 years old and freshly graduated from high school, student Vitória Sabrina da Silva Leite, from the city of Mossoró, in the interior of Rio Grande do Norte, a northeastern state of Brazil, is studying to secure a place at a Brazilian university, but she is already a part of the Multicultural Mexican University Earth & Life University, an institution specialized in courses focused on sustainable development.
 

The 100% scholarship for the diploma program "Green Business and Circular Economy," at the institution that is a partner of the Circular Movement, was the recognition received by the student for winning the 2023 the International Award for a World Without Waste, with her project "Rainwater Collection and Storage System using Low-Cost Materials: an Alternative to Combat Drought in the Northeastern Semiarid Region." The work uses recyclable materials to help reuse water in regions suffering from drought and was guided by Professor Antônio Serginaldo de Oliveira Bezerra, at the Monsenhor Raimundo Gurgel State School, in Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte.

International Training in Circular Economy

Vitória Sabrina is the first Brazilian student at the Earth & Life University and acknowledges how much this experience will make a difference not only in her life. "I never imagined all of this. My first access to university, at just 18 years old, in a university in another country, is surreal. These are topics and agendas that have always interested me, and being able to delve deeper and graduate in them is amazing. I want to use all this knowledge to drive my projects (in a circular economy), also to create new projects, take them to companies, and also to schools," she plans.

Today, Vitória connects twice a week with her international class, composed of students from different Latin American countries, to participate in classes in Spanish, in the course that lasts three months. The training aims to understand the principles of Circular Economy and its opportunities for generating social, economic, and environmental value. At the end of the classes, she will have to present a proposal applying the methodologies learned to solve a problem in her community.
 

Opportunities Generated by Circular Economy

This is the kind of opportunity that Circular Economy can provide. By encouraging actions for ecosystem conservation and resource optimization, circularity can promote knowledge, innovation, and the creation of new business models, which in turn generate employment and income.

"The 2023 International Award for a World Without Waste had a unique relevance to further boost projects like Vitória's. By recognizing and celebrating students' efforts, the prize goes beyond simple recognition; it engages young people in meaningful dialogue about their projects and encourages them to believe in their own transformative potential," highlights Maria Carolina Stenico, project manager of the Circular Movement and responsible for the Zero Waste World Prize. For Carol, “more than a prize, it is a catalyst for these young people to feel empowered and inspired to actively contribute to positive transformation in their communities and in the world. By giving voice to students and validating their ideas, we not only empower them but also connect them to a network of support and opportunities, creating a virtuous cycle of innovation and social impact.”
 

Support for the International Award for a World Without Waste

The scholarship was the result of a partnership between the educational institution and Circular Movement, as a way of supporting the first International edition of the International Award for a World Without Waste, in 2023. Any organization interested in supporting the award and helping to promote education , culture and sustainability through financing initiatives for a more circular world, you can register on the award page to be a sponsor of the 2024 edition.

Daniela Hernández, General Director of Earth & Life University, celebrates the result of the partnership, “Vitoria is a very committed student, with a lot of energy to learn and also to apply knowledge in her projects. As a virtual university, we have created a fairly international community, with students from Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, etc. and Vitoria is the second student from Brazil and her experience brings a lot of richness. Brazil is a country with a lot of leadership in circularity issues and we are interested in opening communication networks. We believe a lot in co-creation and collaboration as a learning methodology, because they are also pillars and seeds of sustainability. The knowledge that is generated by sharing experiences allows us to learn as well. It is not only about academic knowledge, but about what arises in each interaction between students. That is what we seek and excite us as partners of Circular Movement”.

A celebration that the student shares: "It represents the beginning of a new cycle, of new dreams, it is further proof that our efforts are always rewarded, and most importantly, when they help, in some way, other people and our environment. I am very happy, I am very grateful to the Circular Movement for all the recognition and for everything they do for us, the students," summarizes Vitória.

 

Learn in detail about the project developed by Vitória and the work of the other winners of the 2023 International Award for a World Without Waste.

2024 International Award for a World Without Waste 

The 2024 edition of the International Zero Waste World Prize has already begun, and its first stop was at the Brazilian Science and Engineering Fair, the Febrace, in São Paulo (BR). Learn about the projects developed by this year's first winners here.