Transforming waste recovery in Palawan, the Phillippines
The Philippines, home to some of the world’s richest marine ecosystems, continues to face critical challenges from plastic pollution and weak solid waste management systems. In the heart of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines – the country’s “Last Ecological Frontier” – Eco Kolek is leading a local movement to change this. Launched in 2021, Eco Kolek is an inclusive, community-led circular economy initiative tackling plastic pollution and empowering informal waste collectors – known as Eco Warriors – to become champions of circular economy and marine protection.
With OCEAN support, the initiative will expand its inclusive waste recovery systems to reach 12,000 households and small businesses across Puerto Princesa City and nearby island municipalities, targeting 1,100 metric tonnes of plastic diverted from landfill and marine environments.
At its core is the Circular Economy Learning Hub – a first of its kind structure in the city, built from upcycled materials – will deliver learning exchanges, paid tours, hands-on training and educational programmes for youth, women and local communities. The project will train and organise 110 Eco Warriors (at least 60% women and 5% people living with disabilities), lining then to new livelihood streams through pilot buy and sell and plastic credit system models, and the Eco Kolek App for traceable recovery data.
By combining community innovation, digital tools and collaborative partnerships, Eco Kolek demonstrates how locally driven solutions can protect coastal and marine ecosystems while uplifting livelihoods – creating a replicable model for circular economy action across the Philippines and neighbouring counties.
Photo credit: Eco Kolek
