World Environment Day 2026 – Women, Livelihoods and the Circular Economy
Women, Livelihoods and the Circular Economy
Environmental action can also create opportunity. Across Soroptimist International, clubs are supporting women to transform waste, skills and local resources into sustainable livelihoods.
From corn husk handicrafts and biodegradable soaps to laundry detergent production and women-led waste segregation, these projects show how environmental responsibility and economic empowerment can work together. By supporting women with training, practical tools and routes to income, Soroptimists are helping to build cleaner communities and more resilient households.
Together, these initiatives reflect the value of a circular economy: reducing waste, reusing resources and creating opportunities that benefit both people and the planet.
Soroptimist International of CalDeTaal, Philippines Region, SIA
Project JUANA & Livelihood Program
With the belief that empowerment should not come at the cost of the Earth, women of Soroptimist International of CalDeTaal trained 47 women in Agoncillo, Philippines to produce high-quality laundry detergent and build a sustainable business.
Using the “multiplier” model, each woman learns to reinvest her profits to grow and sustain her enterprise. By providing these livelihood skills, this project helps women gain the financial independence to support their families.
With an emphasis on environmental stewardship, the training focuses on proper waste disposal and the use of sustainable ingredients to keep harmful chemicals out of the local waterways of Batangas. Women are taught to build a business that also protects the local environment. They also encourage customers to use refillable containers, helping to reduce single-use plastic waste.
Agoncillo is a town affected by the Taal volcano eruption, tremors and earthquakes. By providing startup business capital in the form of soap-making kits that women can maintain anywhere, SI CalDeTaal hopes to support an economic foundation that cannot be shaken — one that empowers women to provide for their families while protecting the environment their children will inherit.
Soroptimist International of Ilagan, Philippines Region, SIA
Project L.I.K.H.A.
Livelihood Initiative for Kababaihan towards a Healthy Environment and Advancement
Project L.I.K.H.A. is a community-based initiative that empowers women in Barangay Sindun through livelihood education and entrepreneurship. Ten women — primarily homemakers, single mothers and underemployed women between the ages of 20 and 55 — receive training in eco-friendly product development, financial literacy and small business management.
At the heart of the project is a simple but powerful idea: that agricultural waste is not waste at all. Participants learn to transform corn husks into marketable bags, mats and handicrafts, building sustainable income streams while keeping materials out of the environment.
Skills development and eco-conscious entrepreneurship go hand in hand, giving women the practical knowledge and confidence to create livelihoods that are good for their families and for the planet.
By combining education, skills development and eco-conscious entrepreneurship, Project L.I.K.H.A. helps women gain practical knowledge and confidence to build lasting, sustainable livelihoods while contributing to a healthier environment and a stronger, more resilient community.
Soroptimist International of Perla del Sur, America del Sur Region, Paraguay, SIA
Entrepreneurship with Ecological Impact
Manufacturing of artisanal soaps
One litre of discarded cooking oil can contaminate 40,000 litres of water. In Paraguay, 110 women from vulnerable communities learned to reuse household oils and transform them into biodegradable artisanal soaps, reducing environmental damage while creating a source of income to help their families.
The project, “Emprender con impacto ecológico” — or “Entrepreneurship with ecological impact” — shows how a common household waste product can become a practical green solution. Through soap-making, women are able to neutralise the damage caused by discarded oil and turn it into something useful, sustainable and marketable.
Making artisanal soaps with an ecological impact is a simple yet powerful way to transform waste into opportunities. It supports women to develop practical skills, create income and contribute to cleaner water and healthier communities.
This initiative places women at the centre of environmental action, showing how everyday materials can be reused in ways that support both economic empowerment and environmental protection.
SI Bangalore, India, SIGBI
Circular Economy Model for Women-Led Livelihoods
Soroptimist International Bangalore conceptualised and led the CWE project by partnering with Hasiru Dala and SAFAL to empower 13 women waste segregators.
The Club mobilised €3,000 through SI Land Van Waas, provided sewing machines and training support, and organised skill-building and design workshops. Through this support, women waste segregators were able to build practical skills and explore new opportunities for sustainable income.
SIB also facilitated market linkages through exhibitions, supported product sales and continues monitoring income and sustainability. This ongoing support helps strengthen the women’s livelihoods while contributing to a circular economy model rooted in reuse, skills development and women’s economic empowerment.
By supporting women who are already working within waste systems, the project recognises their role in building cleaner and more sustainable communities. It also creates a replicable model for women-led livelihoods, showing how partnerships, training and market access can help turn environmental action into lasting economic opportunity.
SI The Hills District, Australia
Children’s Clothes, Toys and Book Swap
SI The Hills District partnered with the local Shire Council to host a large-scale circular economy swap event for children’s goods.
The event encouraged families to exchange children’s clothes, toys and books, helping to extend the life of usable items and reduce waste going to landfill. Approximately 80 adults and 20 children attended the swap. Leftover items were passed on to charity, with Ian Moore from Save the Children present and remaining items sold to raise funds for the organisation.
By bringing families together around reuse and responsible consumption, the project showed how circular economy practices can be practical, social and community focused.
SI Bayside, Australia
Soropti-Swap 2025
SI Bayside held Soropti-Swap 2025, an afternoon event encouraging people to swap clothes, materials and accessories rather than sending usable items to landfill.
The event included a keynote speaker on “slow clothing” and a mending workshop, helping participants think differently about textile waste and the life of the items they already own. Members of the public were encouraged to bring clothes, materials, sewing accessories and shoes to swap, as well as old linen for recycling.
Working with Redland City Council, the project combined education, practical skills and community participation. It reflected a circular economy approach by promoting reuse, repair and more conscious choices around clothing and textiles.