Footwear industry, and plastic recycling: a case of circular economy and green jobs in Yucatán, México

The social and economic dynamics in Ticul municipality in Yucatán is based on labor-in-tensive and low-tech pottery and shoe manufacturing, contributing thereby 55% of the municipality’s total gross production. Despite its economic importance and employment, there are no environmental policies focused on these economic activities in the commu-nity, which has led to environmental, social, health problems in children and concerns of hazardous waste. The article’s objective is to document a successful case of a plastics recycler through a mixed-methods approach that allows identifying a critical path for promoting activities in favor of a circular economy and the generation of green jobs in the municipality. The result was higher than 70 per cent in the green employment index. The green employment generated in the plastic recycler in Ticul, Yucatán is considered to be an adequate performance in decent work. Even though the work carried out in the recycler cannot mitigate the waste and toxic substances generated by the manufacture of shoes, this study enables us to conclude that the promotion of such recycling activities facilitates the employment of a more significant number of people to jobs with less precariousness and exposure to toxic substances, therefore, ensuring their better occupational health, as well as reducing negative impacts on the environment.