USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced the initiation of the CIRCLE Alliance, a pioneering public-private partnership involving USAID, Unilever, and EY. This initiative is aimed at tackling the global plastic pollution crisis by providing support to entrepreneurs and small businesses within the plastics value chain. Initially, the focus will be on India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
The CIRCLE Alliance is designed to offer funding, mentorship, and resources to entrepreneurs who are creating innovative solutions. This assistance will help expand projects related to plastic waste collection, recycling technologies, and the creation of reusable and refillable products. The partnership aims to inspire similar initiatives globally, showcasing successful models and best practices to influence worldwide policies and encourage other companies and governments to invest in sustainable solutions.
At the launch event, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Dan Sullivan, co-sponsors of the bipartisan Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, delivered remarks, underscoring legislative support for combating ocean plastic pollution. In the second year of the Save Our Seas Initiative, USAID accelerated the development of new country partnerships and programs to fight ocean plastic pollution. To date, the initiative has prevented over 127 billion plastic bottles’ worth of pollution from entering the environment.
The CIRCLE Alliance is set to have a major impact by empowering entrepreneurs and promoting sustainable practices within the plastics value chain, contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable future.