These findings draw from new insights from the recently updated global edition of the world-first Plastics Circularity Investment Tracker, which tracks the scale of private investments driving a circular economy for plastics globally.
 

The key findings from the Plastics Circularity Investment Tracker identifies the solutions and regions receiving funding, as well as insights into investor and transaction landscapes, enabling decision-makers to better identify opportunities to scale solutions and unlock the full potential of a circular economy.

The plastics recycling ecosystem in South and Southeast Asia is highly fragmented, with a mix of formal and informal actors, leading to a lack of transparency in the economics of plastic recovery and recycling. 

This report seeks to shed light on how pricing transparency can unlock demand and support stakeholders across the value chain to better understand the market opportunity and make more informed decisions.
 

This report examines how various policies, such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), the implementation of a Deposit Return System (DRS) and taxes on virgin polymers for example, can impact recycling output, enabling stakeholders in the recycled plastics supply chains to capitalize on the tailwinds provided by global efforts to tackle plastic pollution.

This report provides insights and analysis of GHG reductions from investing in proper plastic waste management and recycling based on The Circulate Initiative's Plastic Lifecycle Assessment Calculator for the Environment and Society (PLACES).

Leveraging PLACES with scenario modeling, the key insights underscore how investing in proper plastic waste management and recycling can result in significant GHG reductions in six countries in South and Southeast Asia.

The report draws findings from the world-first Plastics Circularity Investment Tracker, which tracks private investments into the circular economy in emerging markets.

The insights from the Investment Tracker provide a baseline understanding of the investment landscape for stakeholders taking on the plastic pollution challenge by identifying the amount of private capital that has been deployed across a range of emerging markets and the plastics value chain, the types of plastics circularity solutions receiving investments, and key trends and opportunities in the plastics circularity space.

Plastic recycling supply chains in South and Southeast Asia are localized and unique as they rely on many informal transactions, as well as local and regional infrastructure and markets. As countries across Asia increase regulations around plastic waste management, a better understanding of the localized plastic supply chains is needed. Identifying the key actors, infrastructure, and influencing regulations at the local level can help to determine the best interventions to improve existing systems and mitigate plastic pollution.

Recognizing a gap in market research, The Circulate Initiative, in partnership with Anthesis Group, undertook a detailed assessment of selected cities across India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. The findings from our research reveal insights into formal and informal systems, infrastructure that is enabling or preventing progress, and the influence of public and private sectors when it comes to implementing change.

While both the private and public sectors are mobilizing to address the plastic waste challenge, there is an urgent need to accelerate the pace of investment. In collaboration with Global Plastic Action Partnership (World Economic Forum), we published a set of case studies which demonstrates how private capital can unlock opportunities in the circular economy and the critical role policy needs to play to stimulate investor interest.

The waste management and recycling industry in South and Southeast Asia is dominated by the presence of informal waste workers. As global brands set targets to increase recycled plastic content in their packaging and investment is funneled into the sector, there is an opportunity to improve existing value chains and advance equitable livelihoods for informal waste workers.

To support strategy and policy making, The Circulate Initiative conducted a series of interviews with India-based portfolio companies of our mission-aligned investment partner, Circulate Capital, which has initiatives in place to benefit informal waste workers. The insights provide an overview of the social and human elements linked to recycled plastics’ procurement to better understand the risks associated with existing practices, as well as where opportunities for change lie.

Conducted as part of the Closing the Data Gap Challenge, a joint initiative by The Circulate Initiative and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste to bridge knowledge gaps that are preventing action against plastic pollution across different geographies, this report provides an overview of the state of waste generation and management in Udaipur, India.  

The study reports on municipal solid waste generated, plastic waste generated and recycled, and on the livelihoods and working conditions of informal waste workers in the city of Udaipur. The study’s findings will help inform plastics value chain actors, organizations addressing the plastic waste challenge, and policymakers to drive the right decisions and investments, speed up progress in implementing solutions, and monitor improvements towards a more circular economy.

The second in a series delivered in partnership with Delterra, this research identifies four key insights which can provide a roadmap for promoting pro-recycling behavior change in the global south.

Conducted across three Delterra recycling projects in Indonesia and Argentina, the research reveals that although communities differ in how their residents think about recycling and what motivates them to separate waste, important common learnings can be gleaned.

 

Delivered in partnership with Delterra, this research highlights that recycling behavior has an outsized influence on the economics of recycling. Around 80% of post-consumer waste could be recycled or composted, but when people don’t separate their waste at the source, most of these materials remain out of reach for the recycling industry. 

​

But changing behavior is hard – is it worth the cost? Analysis of Delterra’s Rethinking Recycling projects in Indonesia and Argentina suggests the answer is yes.

As more companies and governments make commitments to address plastic pollution, several plastic offset claims and credit schemes have emerged.

We reviewed the current landscape of standards, certifications and credit programs to assess the strengths and weaknesses of current programs and whether they are equipped to help buyers meet their impact objectives.

​

Download the full report

We reviewed the existing landscape for ocean plastic metrics and tools in collaboration with a multisectoral group of experts to identify key trends and gaps in data and methods as well as opportunities to continue advancing the field. We welcome partners to join us in this effort.

​

View the resources reviewed as part of this analysis in our Knowledge Bank for a more in-depth look at existing research, resources and tools focused on solutions to address ocean plastics and measures of impact.