USAID, Unilever, EY launch CIRCLE Alliance starting in India

USAID, Unilever, and EY launched the CIRCLE Alliance, a public-private partnership funding entrepreneurs in the plastics value chain, with an initial focus on India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The initiative directs capital and mentorship to Indian recycling and reuse startups tackling plastic waste.

USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced the CIRCLE Alliance, a public-private partnership between USAID, Unilever, and EY to tackle global plastic pollution by supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses in the plastics value chain. The initial focus is on India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The Alliance offers funding, mentorship, and resources to scale projects in plastic waste collection, recycling technologies, and reusable and refillable products. It builds on USAID's Save Our Seas Initiative, which has prevented over 127 billion plastic bottles' worth of pollution.

Entrepreneurs and small businesses in the plastics value chain across India and the three other priority countries are directly affected, gaining access to funding, mentorship, and resources to expand collection, recycling, and reuse solutions. The partnership aims to influence worldwide policy by showcasing successful models. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Dan Sullivan, co-sponsors of the bipartisan Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, spoke at the launch, underscoring legislative backing for combating ocean plastic pollution.

Indian entrepreneurs and small businesses in plastic collection, recycling technology, and reusable or refillable products should engage with the CIRCLE Alliance for funding and mentorship as the initiative prioritises India among its first four countries. Stakeholders should monitor how the partnership scales models and best practices intended to influence policy and attract further corporate and government investment in sustainable plastics solutions across the value chain.

Key figure — Pollution prevented to date: over 127 billion plastic bottles' worth