To start positive changes and create sustainable social impact, people around the globe are going hand in hand by running social enterprises and service companies based on the different consumption rate and conditions of a particular area, state or country. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) a.k.a Responsible and Sustainable Business can be defined as a process which the companies or enterprises will stimulate the social impact on the environment and community through their activities and actions.

Regarding this, let’s have a look at how the enterprises from South America and Southeast Asia are shaping the sustainable and resilient future of environment impacts in each region.

Shiwi in Peru, western South America

Photo From Shiwi Facebook Page

Shiwi is a Peruvian company that makes food and cosmetic products from the Amazon. The company was established ten years ago with 5 full-time employees currently. The idea of Shiwi is based on environmental conservation in the Amazon rainforest.

Based on the Peruvian government data, 120,000 acres of land in Amazon are lost annually and the number can increase in the future.

Shiwi’s relationship with the indigenous community is more friendly, not just as a business. “We are formal between company and community, but friendly between employee and community,” said Arturo, the community manager of Shiwi.

The company constantly needs to provide feedback for the products if there are deficiencies. When there are no products to sell, Shiwi also cooperates with local NGOs to have tourism trips for the local communities to make a living.

Except for the local communities, other stakeholders involved are allied organizations who help and communicate with Shiwi through the whole process.

For instance, Conservamos por Naturaleza is an organization that helps with communication between Shiwi and the private conservation area in the Amazons. SERNANP (The National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State) is mainly responsible for overseeing and protecting the biodiversity of the conservation area with Shiwi. There are also more organizations involved in participating to assist the company to establish an easy and transparent relationship with the community and government.

Overall, Shiwi is really dealing it’s business with the local’s sake in mind and action, creating a responsible business in the Amazon.

HER in Myanmar, Southeast Asia

Photo From HER Facebook Page

HER, or “Heroines to Enable Recycling” is a social business that lets every woman and anyone to participate in a safe recycling process.

HER was born from an award from YSEALI Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund in October, 2019.

Starting from December, 2019, HER has run TOTs for Waste Management, Upcycling and Product Making in partnership with Chu Chu, Zero-plastic and Sat Ku.

More than that, collaborating with the International Labor Organization, they are micro training to make seven variety of recycled products and finding a market for the income of the villagers or the local people from the rural area such as Kyout Tan, Bagan, Kyout Pa Daung and so on.

Speaking of the social impact, Her has planned for a cooperation with local governments and tried to support funding to the local small businesses in support of recycling and up-cycling products.

Recyglo in Myanmar and Malaysia, Southeast Asia

Photo from Recyglo Myanmar Facebook Page

In Phandeeyar Start-up Challenge 2017, Recyglo Myanmar was born as a waste management service company. As its another step, Oh My Trash application was created to track waste, give service for trash collection and to perform as a platform to earning income for those who worker to track trash.

To elicit their social impact, they work for recycle solution of various kinds of waste from cans, glass, electronics, to organic waste, fertilizers and more.

Apart from that, Recyglo is contributing training, counselling and services which met at least six sustainable development goals.

Apparently, the Malaysian government invited the team to expand the business and so they run a new office now in Malaysia.

Moreover, they are trying to expand to other ASEAN countries like Singapore, Cambodia, and Laos depending on respective waste handling system.