Quito, December 18, 2025. In a joint effort to transform waste management into social impact, SOS Children's Villages Ecuador, Agua San Felipe and ReciVeci® officially presented the “Second Chance” campaign. This project seeks to make local realities visible and propose solutions through an inclusive recycling model that benefits children, adolescents and basic waste pickers in the country.
The initiative stems from a strategic circular economy action. Agua San Felipe recovered stored bottles that were destined for disposal and gave them a “second chance” by reintroducing them to the market with their product. The funds raised will be used to strengthen the family care programs of SOS Ecuador Children's Villages.
The origin of a family and social commitment
During the event, Bertha Sánchez, CEO of Aguas San Felipe, recalled the company's beginnings and the motivation behind this project.
“San Felipe was born as a dream and a family business that has grown over time. Today, that legacy drives us to give back to the community. We will allocate 100% of the proceeds to SOS Ecuador Children's Villages projects. But this doesn't stop there, as citizens can continue to support another vulnerable group: grassroots waste pickers. I call on everyone to be part of this triple impact project that cares for the planet and people.”
.jpeg)
Recycling with a human face
The alliance is strengthened with the participation of ReciVeci®, an organization that ensures that these bottles do not end up in the garbage, but that they are inserted into a decent recovery cycle when they are delivered to our recycling stations to properly close their cycle. Lorena Gallardo, Sustainability and Innovation Manager at ReciVeci, emphasized the importance of looking beyond the recycled object.
“At ReciVeci we don't talk about waste, we talk about people. In Ecuador, there are around 20,000 basic waste pickers, many living in conditions of extreme poverty and more than half of them are women heads of household. This reality is a missed opportunity for thousands of families. Through our Fair Ton model, we seek decent revenues for them and real solutions for companies.”
New recycling station in Quitumbe
As part of the milestones of this collaboration, SOS Children's Villages Ecuador this month became the guardian of a new recycling station in the Quitumbe sector. This is added as station number 18 of the ReciveCindad project, allowing the community to deliver their materials directly to basic recyclers, improving their working conditions and encouraging citizen co-responsibility.
With the launch of this special edition, these three organizations demonstrate that collaboration is strength. Finding common ground between diverse sectors is what makes it possible to materialize solutions that strengthen the social fabric and protect the environment in Ecuador.
Join the change: You can buy your bottles at this link and, once consumed, locate your nearest recycling station through the ReciApp to ensure that the material returns to the hands of a basic recycler.
