Sustainable Innovation Funds

Unilever has partnered with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and EY to launch the CIRCLE Alliance, a $21 million public-private collaboration aimed at reducing plastic waste and promoting circular economies. The initiative focuses on supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses across the plastics value chain, particularly in India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The CIRCLE Alliance aims to scale solutions that reduce plastic use, tackle plastic waste, and improve livelihoods, with a special emphasis on empowering women who make up a significant portion of waste collectors in the global south.

The collaboration leverages Unilever's expertise in plastic supply chains, USAID's experience in empowering women in plastic waste value chains, and EY's professional support to help businesses grow and thrive. The project will provide a mix of grant funding and bespoke business support to scale both new and existing solutions for packaging circularity, including collection, recycling, and reuse-refill models. This initiative is part of Unilever's broader commitment to sustainability, which includes reducing its use of virgin plastic and increasing the use of recycled plastic in its global portfolio.

The CIRCLE Alliance is expected to have a significant impact on the environment and local economies by fostering innovation and collaboration in the plastics sector. By supporting small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs, the initiative aims to create sustainable solutions that can be scaled up to address the global challenge of plastic pollution. The project aligns with Unilever's revised sustainability goals, which include making 100% of its plastic packaging reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2030.

Image Credit: Unilever