Elena Mateo

Elena Mateo is an environmental policy and sustainability leader with over 25 years of experience advancing Zero Waste, circular economy solutions, environmental education, and climate action. As Co-Director of Zero Waste Costa Rica, she leads cross-sector initiatives that promote waste prevention, resource efficiency, and measurable environmental impact across municipalities, tourism, educational institutions, and the public and private sectors. She is also spearheading Smarter Food Costa Rica, an innovative initiative developed in partnership with Winnow, leveraging artificial intelligence to prevent food waste at its source, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and translate Zero Waste principles into measurable climate action.

Elena serves on the Boards of Directors of the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA) and Costa Rica’s National Chamber of Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism (CANAECO), bridging global environmental commitments with practical, locally driven solutions. She holds a Master of Arts in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University and a Master of Arts in International Teaching and Education. Fluent in English, Spanish, and French, and having lived in nine countries, she brings a strong international and cross-cultural perspective to her leadership.