USAID Women in Waste's Economic Empowerment Activity: Reducing Ocean Plastics

The activity is part of the USAID Clean Cities, Blue Ocean program and focuses on providing training, mentorship, and funding to women waste collectors and entrepreneurs in the Philippines and Indonesia. The study highlights the impact of the program, including the delivery of business and empowerment training to over 700 women, the establishment of 32 microenterprises, and the diversion of 42.5 metric tons of plastic from the waste stream. The study also provides key recommendations for the success and replicability of the program, including the delivery of empowerment training, the inclusion of a business incubator component, adapting the training to participants' needs, and working with local and national governments to recognize informal waste collectors.