In 1997 a community women’s cooperative was established to ‘green’ the community of Ugong in Manila, the Philippines. They began by instigating a garbage collection and a vegetable, flower and tree planting campaign. Following the success of this campaign, and with a 500 strong membership, the women's cooperative implemented an income-generating project. The members would buy recyclables from local households and resell them for profit to council waste reclamation stations in the city, thereby providing extra income for the households as well as the cooperative's members, increasing community awareness and participation in sustainable waste management practices and improving the local environment.

The livelihood project was so successful that it was extended to include collection in the neighbouring community of Valle Verde and inspired the creation of another livelihood project – the collection of ‘doy packs’ (or tetra packs as they are known in Australia) to be cleaned and sewn by community members into a variety of colourful and practical products.

Currently the women's cooperative employs fifty families in the collection, cleaning and sewing of the ‘doy packs’. They have improved the lives of the community members and made Ugong community a healthy, safe and friendly place to live and work.