Aruba Circular Economy Foundation

Our Story

Aruba Circular Economy Foundation (ACEF) was founded to raise awareness and educate the public on the circular economy. The foundation aims to work together with stakeholders to ignite the shift towards a sustainable circular island economy. We are committed to invest our expertise and resources to make Aruba an sustainable frontrunner.

What We Do

Vision

Closing the loop for a safe, happy and healthy island community

Mission

Working together to ignite the shift towards a sustainable circular island economy

Our Short Term Objectives


1.Creating, promoting and stimulating awareness and knowledge about the circular economy (CE), and circular thinking and practice.

2.Increasing scientific knowledge and innovation about CE by promoting the collection and exchange of research data as well as access to it.

3.Stimulating cooperation between government, knowledge institutions, civil organizations and the business community in the field of CE by setting up and developing networks, e-platforms, CE legislation and media communications.

4.Supporting and stimulating entrepreneurship in the field of CE and supporting and collaborating with local and international business in the field of circular innovations.

5.Contributing to the realization of the sustainble development goals of Aruba, by promoting the implementation of CE in Aruba within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and internationally.

We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, We borrow it from our children

Native American Proverb

About Us

“Working together to ignite the shift toward a sustainable circular island economy”

Who we are

Aruba Circular Economy Foundation (ACEF) was incorporated in Aruba on June 14th 2021. ACEF is a non-profit volunteer-based foundation that aims to fulfill a complementary and added value role in Aruba’s process of transition toward becoming a sustainable circular island economy. ACEF aims to contribute to materializing the National Circular Economy Missions described in Aruba’s Master Plan, namely: “Achieve island-wide systemic
transition toward a circular model that is affordable and realizable”

Our Principles

“Closing the loop for a safe, happy, and healthy island community.”

•   Recognize that waste is a resource. Where the aim is to design out waste and contamination.
•   Maintain products and materials in continuous use through either a healthy biological and/or a technical cycle.
•   Reveal and phase out negative impacts in your society.
•   Help regenerate natural resources and ecological services. Build natural capital.
•   Always aim for social, economic, and environmental wellbeing for now and future generations.
•   Team up to create joint value

Support our project today

For a happy & healthy future

Meet The Team

Since our founding in 2021, Aruba Circular Economy Foundation has developed and grown in a positive direction. We’re very proud of the diversity of our staff, and their abilities to contribute their own unique experience and skills to our success. Find out more about our foundation’s board members below.

Egidio A.T.L. Bundel

President

Egidio is a purpose driven intrapreneur, consultant, circular economy enthousiast and professional with 5+ years of experience at one of the leading sustainable banks across the globe.

Christle Nieuw

Secretary

Born in Aruba, Christle Nieuw is a young professional whose passion lies within the environment, sustainability and food security. ​She holds a bachelor’s degree in Organization, Governance and Management from the University of Aruba, and has written several research papers for the public and private sectors of Aruba. She hopes to further her studies in Environmental Sciences and contribute to the growth of Aruba by the means of a circular economy. 

Bauke Feenstra

Treasurer

Bauke has ample experience in the financial sector in different administrative functions. He has also served the Aruban community as a volunteer in different non-profit organizations as treasurer. He wants to actively contribute to the transition of Aruba to a circular economy by sharing his knowledge and network and participating in the dialogue to a healthy and clean society.

Kevin de Cuba

General Member

Kevin is a Senior Sustainable Circular Economy Advisor with 15+ years of international work experience in the USA, Latin America, and the Caribbean and serves as senior advisor to UN agencies, European Union, International Development Banks, Governments, and other public and multilateral private organizations. Kevin holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Development with specialization in Energy & Materials from the Copernicus Institute at Utrecht University.

Joselin Croes

General Member

Joselin has professional experience in international relations as Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba in Washington DC. She recently completed a Circular Economy Professional course at
UC Berkeley and is a graduate at the University of Maryland Global Campus
with a Masters Degree in Environmental Management.

FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers

The Aruba Circular Economy Foundation (ACEF) is brought to life to serve as a member-based non-profit organization with the purpose to contribute to the transition toward a sustainable circular economy in Aruba.

This is to be achieved by:

  • Focusing on intentionally closing healthy material loops, encouraging local actors to refuse, reduce, reuse and extend the duration of use of materials.

  • Promoting new types of jobs in new types of productive economic activities that are compatible with our resources base and socio-economic conditions that enable Aruba to offset its dependency on the import of energy, water, food, and essential products, to improve wellbeing.

  • Helping Aruba shift from a net-import dependent nation to a net-exporter of value-added products and services.

The Aruba Circular Economy Foundation is composed of an Executive Board composed of five (5) members, of which the President is fully authorized to legally represent the foundation and is accompanied by a Secretary and a Treasurer. Furthermore, the board is composed of two general board members that serve as alternate representatives and substitute upon the need of the three core roles in the board. All five members have equal voting rights and are subject to ACEF’s code of conduct and good governance principles.

The Board’s membership and multi-annual work plan are approved for a period of up to 4 years by the registered and active members during a general assembly. The Board is authorized to create and dissolve sub-committees for thematic, operational or any ad-hoc purposes, wherein at the minimum one board member’s active participation is required to be complemented with registered members. Finally, the Board is authorized to appoint and discharge a Director and Staff/Personnel for the operational needs of the Foundation.     

A Circular Economy is an alternative to the present “take-make-waste” linear economic system, which is more compatible with nature and aims to resemble the natural consecutive cycles of materials use without ever generating wastage and regenerating ecosystems. It is an economy wherein intentionally eco-intelligently designed products composed of healthy materials and substances circulate within the economy through multiple consecutive flows and productive loops to address present and future needs, generating prosperity and wellbeing.

  • Recognize that waste is a resource. Where the aim is to design out waste and contamination.

  • Maintain products and materials in continuous use through either a healthy biological and/or a technical cycle.

  • Reveal and phase out negative impacts in your society.

  • Help regenerate natural resources and ecological services. Build natural capital.

  • Always aim for social, economic, and environmental wellbeing for now and future generations.

  • Team up to create joint value

  1. Create, promote and stimulate awareness and knowledge about the sustainable circular economy (SCE), circular thinking, and practice.

  2. Increase scientific knowledge and innovation about SCE by promoting the collection and exchange of research data as well as access to it.

  3. Stimulate cooperation between government, knowledge institutions, civil organizations, and the business community in the field of SCE by setting up and developing networks, e-platforms, SCE legislation, and media communications.

  4. Support and stimulate circular entrepreneurship and supporting and collaborating with local and international businesses in the field of circular innovations.

  5. Contribute to the realization of the sustainable development goals of Aruba, by promoting the implementation of SCE in Aruba, within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and internationally.

The University of Aruba is a strategic partner to ACEF where continuous academic and practical knowledge and learnings are exchanged about the theory and practice of sustainable circular economy application in Aruba. ACEF’s contribution is to help the University of Aruba test real-case applications and solutions through applied sciences, gather practical insights and empirical evidence and data, document, and communicate these to the wider community to enrich the knowledge base of the Aruban community regarding SCE.     

By working with social partners, including financial institutions, ACEF facilitates and organizes events, workshops, and business-to-business meetings to stimulate the creation of strategic partnerships within sectors, sub-sectors, business clusters, and value chains in Aruba for technical cooperation to develop new and innovative business solutions, models and services compatible with SCE principles.

Visit the membership registration page, and submit your personal contact information in order to receive a confirmation email with specific information about the membership fee and benefits, including upcoming business, knowledge, and innovation workshops and exchange opportunities, and opportunities to become involved as an active member in ongoing activities, committees, projects and services provided by ACEF.

You can sign up your company or organization as a strategic supporter of ACEF, subject to a pre-screening of the core business or activities and performance of your company or organization and its compatibility to the sustainable circular economy principles and strategic goals established by ACEF.

ACEF’s office is located in Oranjestad, Aruba with a telephone number and an institutional email. Please visit the institutional website, www.arubacircular.org for more information about the foundation and the active board members, their profiles, and contact information.

Contact Us

Contact us for any question or donation to support the next big project. Our team will get in touch with you within 24 hours.

Mon- Fri: 09:00 - 17:00