Unilever and partners co-fund US$21 million packaging circularity alliance

Unilever, USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) and EY co-fund the CIRCLE Alliance, a new US$21 million public-private collaboration.

The new alliance has particular focus on packaging circularity and women.

The alliance aims to support entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across plastic value chain to scale solutions that reduce plastic use, tackle plastic waste and build circular economies.

“CIRCLE’s collaborative model of enterprise acceleration – delivered through a mix of grant funding and bespoke business support – will help scale both new and existing solutions for packaging circularity, whether that’s driving collection and recycling, or reuse–refill models,” said Rebecca Marmot, Chief Sustainability Officer of Unilever.

It also has a particular focus on women, who make up the majority of waste collectors working in the informal sector in the global south.

“The CIRCLE Alliance brings together USAID’s experience in empowering women in plastic waste value chains and our long-standing relationships with national and local governments – and of course, with civil society,” commented Samantha Power, USAID Administrator.

Gillian Hinde, EY Global Corporate Responsibility Leader, added that the CIRCLE Alliance responds to the urgent need for collective action to enable a circular economy for plastics across the global south.

Its initial focus is on India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Expansion to other markets are expected by bringing in new organizations with additional funds to invest.

The investment in the CIRCLE Alliance includes a cash contribution from Unilever’s Climate & Nature Fund, an impact-led investment platform which the company aims to invest US$1.1 billion by 2030 to deliver positive impact and business benefits.