Unilever has partnered with USAID and EY to launch the CIRCLE Alliance, a $21 million public–private initiative designed to combat plastic pollution. This collaboration is crucial in addressing the urgent need for collective action against one of the most pressing environmental challenges: plastic waste.
The CIRCLE Alliance will support entrepreneurs and small businesses across the plastics value chain, with a particular focus on women’s economic empowerment, improving livelihoods, and protecting the environment through the development of circular economies.
Packaging is essential for Unilever’s global operations, serving to transport and protect products while enhancing the consumer experience. However, the connection between packaging and plastic pollution is clear, making it a key sustainability priority for the company. Unilever has made strides in reducing virgin plastic use by 18% since 2019 and increasing recycled plastic usage to 22% of its global portfolio. Additionally, the company has explored various reuse and refill models worldwide.
The CIRCLE Alliance aims to accelerate solutions that reduce plastic use, tackle waste, and foster circular economies. It is particularly focused on supporting small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs who are pivotal in driving market-based solutions but lack the scale to make a broader impact.
Initially targeting India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, the CIRCLE Alliance plans to expand to other markets by incorporating new partners and additional funding. This initiative builds on the success of TRANSFORM, an impact enterprise accelerator led by Unilever, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and EY.
Unilever’s investment in the CIRCLE Alliance includes contributions from its Climate & Nature Fund, a €1 billion ($1.1 billion) investment platform aimed at driving systemic change by 2030. The company also supports Circulate Capital’s Ocean Fund, which addresses ocean plastic pollution in South and Southeast Asia, as well as Latin America.
USAID Administrator Samantha Power emphasized the significance of this partnership during the launch at Capitol Hill Ocean Week, highlighting the combined strengths of USAID, Unilever, and EY in tackling plastic waste and empowering women in the waste management sector.
Gillian Hinde, EY’s Global Corporate Responsibility Leader, underscored the urgency of collective action, stating that the CIRCLE Alliance represents a bold model of public–private collaboration aimed at incubating innovation, scaling solutions to plastic pollution, and generating jobs that uphold human rights, particularly for women in the waste sector.
