Loopway’s featured circular economy project for the 2026-2027 Rotary Year.
A Cross-Border Partnership
Building Bridges Through Rotary connects Rotary clubs in Mexico (District 4100) and the U.S. (District 5340) around shared circular-economy and environmental work, alongside the Environmental Xperience programs running in both countries. The effort is led by Steve Bender, Chairman of the United States Green Chamber of Commerce, President of the Rotary Club of Newport Beach.
The Alluvium Project
The flagship initiative of Building Bridges Through Rotary is the Alluvium Project, a cross-border circular economy and environmental restoration effort covering Mexico and the U.S.-Mexico border region. Alluvium partners with RiverRecycle to intercept plastic waste from rivers before it reaches the ocean, reinvesting the proceeds into tree nurseries for monarch butterfly habitat, solar-powered desalination for fishing villages, and Rotary-led environmental projects on both sides of the border.
RiverRecycle itself runs river-plastic interception projects on six rivers across the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Ghana — see the full lineup on our National Directory and Global Projects pages.
Recent Event: We Rescue the Colorado River
On May 8, 2026, Dr. Bricia Elawar led a new phase of the binational “We Rescue the Colorado River” cleanup campaign, with Rotarians from Districts 4100, 5300, 5330, and 5340 participating to clear 800 meters as a first step toward restoring the Colorado River watershed. The event drew more than 1,350 hours of Rotarian volunteer service plus student and community volunteers, for a combined social and financial impact of $78,847.
Rooted in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region
Much of this work grows out of Rotary’s Climate Action Team (RCAT) and its ongoing attention to the Tijuana River, where cross-border pollution has become a national news story — Steve Bender has spoken with national press on the issue as part of that advocacy. Building Bridges Through Rotary and the Alluvium Project channel that same cross-border energy into a standing circular-economy program rather than a single campaign.
Know a related project, or want to get involved? Reach out through our Contact page.