The Philippines produces more ocean plastic than any other country, according to recent reports, with its rivers overwhelmed by thick layers of waste. Mother Earth Foundation, a group shortlisted for the 2026 Earthshot Prize—an environmental award created by Prince William—has spent nearly three decades creating systems to keep plastic and organic waste out of waterways and landfills. Founded in 1998 by five women in Manila, the foundation has transformed ordinary villages into models of effective waste management, emphasizing local responsibility for waste generation. The Pasig River, which flows through the capital, is one of the most polluted waterways in the world. Each year, heavy rains bring images of plastic washing over shorelines and clogging flooded streets. To combat this, Mother Earth Foundation has worked to turn villages into self-sustaining systems where waste is managed at its source. Sonia Mendoza, co-founder and chair of the foundation, explains that the key to the plastic crisis in developing countries lies in the widespread use of sachets—small, single-use plastic packages for liquids. Globally, around 855 billion sachets are discarded annually, with the Philippines alone using 164 million per day. Many Filipinos lack access to proper disposal facilities, compounding the issue. To reduce plastic waste, the foundation has partnered with small local shops known as sari-sari stores, encouraging them to sell products like soy sauce and cooking oil in bulk rather than in single-use plastic. Since 2024, these efforts have diverted over 671,000 plastic items, including 288,000 sachets. In San Fernando, a city north of Manila, the foundation has helped the local government achieve an 89% waste diversion rate by training waste collectors to educate households on sorting waste. This approach is more effective than trying to get busy residents to attend meetings directly, as Mendoza explains. Despite these efforts, the workers who collect and sort waste are often unpaid or underpaid. Mendoza is working to create legal protections for these workers through the "Magna Carta of Waste Workers," a proposed bill that would standardize their conditions and provide benefits like health insurance. Meanwhile, the global plastic crisis continues to grow, with over 400 million tons of plastic produced annually—far more than in 1950. Even when local communities manage their waste, plastic can still flow in from other areas. Mother Earth is now pushing for solutions upstream, targeting the companies responsible for plastic packaging. Mendoza has been involved in international efforts to create a global cap on plastic production, but these negotiations have repeatedly failed due to resistance from oil-producing nations. Despite these challenges, she remains focused on promoting low-waste systems in villages, advocating for reusable bags and containers as simple, cost-effective solutions. Her long-term goal is to have 90% of Philippine cities operating zero-waste systems by 2030, and she hopes the Earthshot Prize recognition will help scale the model globally. Through a Zero Waste Academy, the foundation has already trained participants from countries like Tanzania and Vietnam, aiming to create a replicable system across Southeast Asia and beyond.