Conclusion
Meanwhile, women entrepreneurs are leading circular innovation across Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, many have championed refill and reuse business models, challenging traditional consumption patterns and driving sustainability forward.
Persons with disabilities also face systemic barriers from an early age, with their abilities too often underestimated. Their inclusion is not only a matter of rights—it’s also a source of innovation and resilience.
So how do we build a circular economy that truly leaves no one behind?
First, we must put inclusion at the center. This starts with mapping GEDSI stakeholders and meaningfully involving them in policy-making and implementation. Their insights are essential for designing solutions that work on the ground.
Recognition is another key step. Formal acknowledgment of informal workers—such as waste pickers—can empower them and offer access to fair compensation, protective gear and social safety nets. But these measures must be designed with flexibility in mind.
A Mexican initiative to formalize informal workers failed, in part, because it imposed rigid work hours, eroding the very autonomy these workers depended on.
Similarly, bureaucratic hurdles—like the need for formal IDs or digital literacy—can unintentionally exclude the most vulnerable.
Communities must be engaged not as beneficiaries but as agents of change. In the Philippines, persons with disabilities have created social enterprises that transform plastic waste into furniture and ornaments—marrying sustainability with empowerment. Indigenous women’s groups craft jewelry and bags from discarded textiles and plastics, blending tradition with environmental consciousness.
There are promising models elsewhere too. In Cambodia and the Philippines, social enterprises have supported former informal waste pickers by providing ID cards and protective equipment, allowing them to sell plastics at designated depots for fair prices. These initiatives offer both economic security and the flexibility these workers need.
Vietnam has taken steps to strengthen the capacity of waste pickers’ associations by offering training in recycling, financial literacy and public outreach.
In the Philippines, green procurement policies are now supporting products made by former waste pickers, providing reliable market access and income.
The circular economy isn’t just about reducing waste—it’s about rethinking how we include, empowerand innovate.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), through the European Union-funded Green Economy Program in the Philippines, is actively working to make this inclusive transition a reality. Spanning 60 cities and municipalities, the initiative maps GEDSI stakeholders, listens to their aspirations and co-develops solutions that enable them to thrive in a greener economy.
By putting innovation, inclusion and collaboration at the forefront, we can build a circular economy that is not only sustainable—but also just. The future we want is one where no one is left behind—and everyone is part of the solution.
Building a circular economy that includes everyone is not just about protecting the environment, it is a bold reimagining of how we grow economies, empower communities and ensure long-term resilience for both people and planet.
UNDP Philippines
