Success story: Gold Zero Waste Certification for Areandina

In line with its institutional mission of contributing to sustainable development, Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina (Areandina) has reached a historic milestone in Colombian higher education. Its environmental commitment, built on a robust and mature Environmental Management System evolving since 2021, found its fullest expression in the design and roll-out of the Zero Waste Management System (SGZW).

This strategic effort focused, with methodological rigour, on Building 202 — Casa Andina, in Bogotá. Led by the National Administrative and Financial Vice-Rectorate, the National Administrative Directorate and the National Environmental and Sustainability Sub-Directorate, the institution took on the challenge of redefining its relationship with resources and solid waste, turning university culture into a real circular economy model.

The challenge: implementing the Zero Waste International Standard

To validate the system's effectiveness against the highest international standards, Areandina worked in partnership with the expert team at Global Zero Waste and ICONTEC.

During the on-site and documentary assessment sessions held in March and June 2026, compliance with the requirements of the Zero Waste Management Systems International Standard, Version 5 was checked in detail. The process ran from the strategic analysis of the institutional context (cross-SWOT) through to the traceability of operational criteria on site.

The assessment produced outstanding conclusions that paved the way to Zero Waste certification:

• Strategic planning: excellent risk management centralised in the QMA software.
• Financial backing: a solid budget allocated for the 2026 period.
• Environmental culture: awareness and skills consolidated through rigorous training programmes and operational drills.

Operational achievements through the 9 Rs of the circular economy

Areandina's success lies in having moved beyond simple end-of-line management to adopt the comprehensive approach of the 9 Rs of the circular economy. Through an initial characterisation using the quartering method, carried out with the support of Casalimpia and with its scales strictly calibrated, the institution identified 28 circularity strategies and prioritised three initial lines of action:

1. Reduction at source

Rolling out dematerialised flows such as QR codes for entry control, installing automated water dispensers to discourage single-use plastics, adopting institutional flasks and optimising cleaning supplies. These measures cut waste and delivered financial savings.

2. Reuse of materials

Strict traceability and return logistics for recoverable materials. Of particular note is the controlled delivery of PET bottles to authorised operators so they can re-enter new production cycles.

3. Recovery and large-scale recycling

Integrated management of organic waste, traditional recyclable material (such as RE-PET bottles) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). An incentive scheme for general services staff was also introduced, which drove the system's efficiency.

The result: GOLD Category Certification awarded by ICONTEC

The maturity of the documentation, the consistency of the data analysed and the high operational efficiency demonstrated opened the way to the official certification audit by the Colombian Institute of Technical Standards and Certification (ICONTEC).

The audited results reflect the exceptional environmental performance of Site 202: