About Us
Who we are
The Circulate Initiative is a global non-profit organization working to solve the plastic pollution challenge and build circular and equitable economies across emerging markets.
What we do
We deliver cutting-edge research and tools, build high-impact programs, and drive collective action with industry stakeholders including businesses, investors, and policymakers.
Why we do it
The plastic pollution crisis is one of the most significant environmental and socio-economic challenges of our time. With a focus on emerging markets and work pillars to address systemic gaps, The Circulate Initiative is uniquely placed to impactfully contribute to the solution in regions that require urgent action.
Timeline of Key Milestones
October 2019
October 2019
June 2020
September 2021
March 2023
March 2023
May 2023
June 2023
October 2019
The Circulate Initiative is established
The establishment of The Circulate Initiative is announced by investment management firm, Circulate Capital at the Our Ocean Conference in Oslo, Norway.
October 2019
The Incubation Network
In partnership with SecondMuse, launched The Incubation Network, a program aimed to source, support, and scale holistic, innovative solutions to combat plastic pollution in South and Southeast Asia.
June 2020
Urban Ocean®
In partnership with Ocean Conservancy and Resilient Cities Network, launched Urban Ocean®, a capacity-building and accelerator program to end ocean plastic pollution and build more resilient communities in cities.
September 2021
Plastic Lifecycle Assessment Calculator for the Environment and Society (PLACES)
Launched the first edition of PLACES, a GHG calculator to assess the climate impact of current waste management practices in South and Southeast Asia, from open burning to recycling. The coverage includes India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
March 2023
Plastic Circularity Investment Tracker
Launched a world-first tool to track private investments into plastic circularity solutions to enable decision-makers to view the current investment landscape and understand the extent of the financing gap.
March 2023
Conclusion of The Incubation Network
Successfully concluded The Incubation Network program, supporting 358 unique startups and entrepreneurs across the plastics value chain and helping to divert 148,000 tonnes of plastic waste via participant activities.
May 2023
Responsible Sourcing Initiative
Launched a multi-year global program focused on addressing human rights issues in plastic recycling supply chains, with targets to improve the lives of 50,000 waste workers and secure the commitment of 25 global brands, investors, and recyclers by 2025.
June 2023
NextWave Plastics
In collaboration with Lonely Whale, took over the convening of NextWave Plastics, a consortium of multinational brands committed to keeping plastic out of the ocean through socially responsible plastic supply chains.
Meet our Board
Meet our Team
The Impact Metrics Working Group
The Circulate Initiative convenes a diverse group of subject matter experts called the Impact Metrics Working Group. This group collaborates to identify and address key gaps in data, metrics, and methods. Members include the world’s foremost experts on waste management and ocean health, investors, NGOs, researchers, and advocacy organizations. The Impact Metrics Working Group is our advisory body for research undertaken by The Circulate Initiative.
Dominic Hogg
Director
Equanimator Ltd
Ellie Moss
Executive Director
Perpetual
Erin Murphy
Manager of Ocean Plastics Research
Ocean Conservancy
Federico di Penta
Regional Director Lat Am
Delterra
Grant Collins
Principal
Charlotte Square Capital
Jessica Chia
Plastic Smart Cities Monitoring, Impact, Evaluation & Learning Manager, Asia
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
Patarapol Tularak
Secretary General
Solid Waste Management Association of Thailand
Sabine Strnad
Global Lead Circular Economy and Packaging
Henkel
Setsuko Oya
Senior Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Manager
USAID Clean Cities Blue Ocean
Shilpi Kapur
Vice President
Environmental Management Centre Pvt. Ltd. (EMC)
Sonia Dias
Waste Specialist
Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO)
Suneel Pandey
Director
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
Taylor Cass Talbott
Just Transition Strategic Issue Lead
Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO)
Trang Nguyen
Co-Founder and Deputy Director
GreenHub
Dominic Hogg
Director
Equanimator Ltd
Ellie Moss
Executive Director
Perpetual
Erin Murphy
Manager of Ocean Plastics Research
Ocean Conservancy
Federico di Penta
Regional Director Lat Am
Delterra
Grant Collins
Principal
Charlotte Square Capital
Patarapol Tularak
Secretary General
Solid Waste Management Association of Thailand
Sabine Strnad
Global Lead Circular Economy and Packaging
Henkel
Setsuko Oya
Senior Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Manager
USAID Clean Cities Blue Ocean
Shilpi Kapur
Vice President
Environmental Management Centre Pvt. Ltd. (EMC)
Sonia Dias
Waste Specialist
Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO)
Suneel Pandey
Director
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
Taylor Cass Talbott
Just Transition Strategic Issue Lead
Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO)
Trang Nguyen
Co-Founder and Deputy Director
GreenHub
Jessica Chia
Plastic Smart Cities Monitoring, Impact, Evaluation & Learning Manager, Asia