Circular Economy

Esenttia has evolved its own Circular Economy model to fully align with the SosTECnibilidad Strategy of the Ecopetrol Group. This systemic approach optimizes resources, minimizes environmental impacts, and generates shared value through three strategic fronts: circular operations, circular businesses, and productive chains, supported by enablers such as governance, green financing, and STI.

Our strategy consists of 3 pillars:

Ambition

To be on par with circularity leaders in the energy sector with an eco-effective maturity level (level 3) by 2040 to achieve positive contributions to nature.

Strategic fronts

Structured initiatives in 3 fronts:

Circular operations (efficiency): Reduce the resources, materials, and inputs used and enhance the recirculation of generated output streams.
Circular businesses (revenue): Generate new revenue streams through circular products and services.
Productive chains (ecosystem): Boost the circularity agenda in Colombia through greater collaboration and integration with internal and external actors, including initiatives with communities in the territories (e.g., energy communities).

Enablers

Financing mechanisms: Establish funding sources for circular initiatives.
Management model: Define the governance scheme and roles, and assign responsibilities that enable circularity.
Circular sourcing and commercialization: Ensure utilization strategies with suppliers, customers, and managers to strengthen circular businesses and make circularity models visible.
Science, technology, and innovation (STI): Develop, appropriate, and adapt cutting-edge knowledge and solutions to accelerate, make visible, and implement initiatives.

Culture is a cross-cutting element of the circular economy model that must be worked on throughout the organization to ensure the adoption of circularity as a priority issue

Aspiration Level	Proactively mitigate risks	Be on par with circularity leaders in the energy sector		Circularity of the energy sector	Be a benchmark in circularity	Hardly achievable for integrated O&G companies
Circularity maturity	Traditional (Level 1)	Eco-Effective (Level 2)	Eco-effective (Level 3)	Eco-effective (Level 3)	Eco-innovator (Level 4)	Zero impact (Level 5)	Net positive (Level 6)
Materials	<5% Secondary materials	5-50% secondary materials	50-100% secondary materials	50-100% secondary materials	100% secondary materials	100% secondary materials	Vertical integration of recycling
Waste	<5% of waste utilized	5-50% of waste utilized	50-100% of waste utilized	50-100% of waste utilized	100% of waste utilized	100% of waste utilized	100% of waste utilized
Water	<25% Reduction in water abstraction	5-50% Reduction in water abstraction	50-75% reduction in water abstraction	50-75% reduction in water abstraction	75-100% reduction in water abstraction	Zero freshwater abstractions	Zero freshwater abstractions
Emissions	<5% reduction in emissions	5-50% reduction in emissions	50-100% reduction in emissions	50-100% reduction in emissions	zero net emissions	Zero originated emissions	Positive carbon footprint

1
Considers both the energy savings promoted in the reuse of third-party materials and their contribution by providing waste for third parties to reuse as materials based on formal agreements; reused mWh / total mWh

2
Secondary materials include all those that are reused, recycled, or reprocessed. The metric calculation excludes hydrocarbons as they are part of the core business that is not intended to be transformed. The metric applies to materials from sourcing, commercial, and marketing suppliers.

3
Measured in terms of abstraction since it is the common metric detected in the standard methodology used. Source: MCI, WBCSD

PlastiTON: Transforming the value chain through circular economy

PlastiTON is Esenttia's (Ecopetrol Group) model that transforms habits and value chains through education, innovation, and collaboration. Since 2018, it integrates more than 100 allies including companies, academia, and communities in a practical mechanism to demonstrate that circular economy is achievable when the capacities of all ecosystem actors are strengthened.

This model not only promotes proper waste classification but also dignifies the work of waste pickers, integrating them as essential pieces for real and sustainable utilization.

Show the benefits of utilizing post-consumer plastic

Increase recycling rates in the city

Strengthen recycling pedagogy by helping everyone become responsible consumers.

PlastiTON Allies

Esenttia In-House Contractors

+2,500 workers

Educational institutions

+15,800 students

Residential units

+11,700 residents

Other companies

+5,000 employees

ECA'S que abarcan

+331 recicladores de oficio

Culture, co-responsibility, and future

The success of PlastiTON confirms that plastic is not waste, but a valuable resource capable of generating economic opportunities under the premise: “Plastic is not discarded, it is transformed.”

As a scalable model, PlastiTON transcends operational management to consolidate itself as a pillar in the transition towards sustainability. Its scope confirms that co-responsibility and multi-sector coordination are the definitive engine for the evolution of the plastic industry in the country.

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