Transforming Honduras' Waste Crisis Into Economic Opportunity

Pioneering the third life of discarded materials

World Compass Foundation is building an advanced recycling facility in Honduras by acquiring cutting-edge separation machinery to turn end-of-life shoes, textiles, and mixed materials into new products while creating sustainable jobs and economic growth.

We believe in the third life of materials. After a product's second life in the secondhand market, we transform what others see as waste into valuable resources that build Honduras' future.

Honduras Faces a Waste Crisis Beyond the Secondhand Market

Honduras processes massive amounts of secondhand goods—from the over 20 billion pairs of shoes consumed globally each year to countless tons of textile waste. But what happens when these products outlive their second life?

When imported used tires can no longer grip the road, when textile goods reach the end of their usefulness, when a secondhand shoe develops a hole in the sole, they become part of Honduras' growing waste crisis. Less than 5% of these materials are recycled, with most ending up in landfills where some can take hundreds of years to decompose.

This waste crisis compounds Honduras' economic challenges, as communities lack access to sustainable employment while valuable materials are literally being buried.

The opportunity is massive: transform end-of-life materials into economic opportunity through their third life.

Recycling Innovation Built for Honduras' Future

World Compass Foundation is building an integrated recycling facility designed to address Honduras' unique waste challenges while creating sustainable economic opportunity.

Advanced

We're acquiring air-based separation technology that can process mixed-materials and separate it into distinct material streams like leather, foam, rubber and textiles.

Sustainable

Every product we create from recycled materials generates revenue that sustains operations and creates permanent employment.

Integrated

We're combining shoe recycling with textile processing to handle a spectrum of waste materials flowing through Honduras.

Transformative

We're pioneering the concept of "third life" for materials, giving end-of-life products a new beginning as valuable resources that build communities.

From Waste to Wealth: Our Integrated Process

Our facility will combine advanced separation technology with strategic product development to create a sustainable economic model.

Step 1: Material Separation

Acquiring and installing specialized air-based separation equipment that uses cyclonic separation, zigzag separation, and vibrating tables to sort mixed materials by weight and density

Step 2: Material Processing

Converting separated materials into raw inputs for new products: rubber into flooring, textiles into mattress padding, mixed materials into construction components

Step 3: Product Manufacturing

Creating market-ready products that serve local demand while generating revenue to sustain and expand operations

the Team Behind the Impact

We're a team of entrepreneurs, development practitioners, and sustainability innovators with over 35 years of combined experience building businesses and programs in Honduras.

Our founders actively run multiple businesses while leading World Compass Foundation, bringing real-world expertise to every aspect of our recycling initiative and community development programs.

Our Broader Impact

While our recycling initiative represents our primary focus for fundraising and development, World Compass Foundation has deep expertise across multiple areas of sustainable community development:

    • Supporting local business development that creates sustainable economic opportunity

    • History of building homes, eco-latrines, and agricultural projects that provide rural employment

    • Proven track record including rescue operations during Hurricanes Eta and Iota in 2020, delivering critical supplies to flood-impacted communities

    • Values-based development through Brazilian Jiu Jitsu that builds disciplined leaders