Rosario Hevia is the founder of Ecocitex, a pioneering Chilean social enterprise transforming textile waste into new products and livelihoods. Through an extensive production chain that includes anyone with access to discarded clothing, Ecocitex produces 100% recycled textile goods, which are distributed through a network of more than 250 women-led businesses across Chile.

Hevia’s work addresses the urgent global impact of textile waste, which is responsible for up to 10% of greenhouse gas emissions and releases half a million tons of microfibres into the ocean every year (European Parliament, 2021). By extending the lifetime of textiles, Ecocitex reduces environmental harm while simultaneously generating social and economic opportunities for women and communities throughout Chile.