The Circulate Initiative announces partnership with IKEA Foundation to support the Responsible Sourcing Initiative in Kenya and India
The Circulate Initiative has announced a partnership with IKEA Foundation to support the implementation of the Responsible Sourcing Initiative to improve the livelihoods of waste workers and increase responsible sourcing of recycled plastics in Kenya and India.
Globally, an estimated 40 million informal waste workers play a critical role in plastics collection, contributing to nearly 60% of global recycling efforts. Their contributions are critical, particularly in emerging markets where formal waste management infrastructure is often lacking. Despite this, they face persistent marginalization, including inadequate pay, child labor, and health risks.
Launched in 2023, The Responsible Sourcing Initiative brings together global brands, investors, recyclers and waste worker organizations to address the most pressing human rights issues in plastic recycling supply chains. The IKEA Foundation partnership marks a significant milestone for the initiative, to support the roll out of implementation projects in India and Kenya, following the successful launch in Indonesia and Viet Nam in 2024.
Collaborating with global and local partners, the Initiative will provide training and skills development to support organizations to adopt The Harmonized Responsible Sourcing Framework for Recycled Plastics (the Harmonized Framework), the first global effort to establish a harmonized and actionable framework to implement responsible sourcing practices in the plastics recycling supply chain.
The training will support small and medium waste enterprises, recyclers, aggregators, and waste workers to implement the Harmonized Framework, with a goal to support over 500 waste enterprises and generate 100,000 tons of responsibly-sourced recycled plastic. Globally, the Responsible Sourcing Initiative aims to improve the livelihoods of 50,000 informal waste sector workers and waste pickers by 2026.
“The IKEA Foundation’s partnership will provide critical support to expand the work of the Responsible Sourcing Initiative with a focus on India and Kenya. We welcome their collaboration to our growing coalition as we bring together all actors to create robust, sustainable, and equitable plastic recycling value chains and improve the lives of informal waste sector workers and waste pickers.” says Annerieke Douma, Director of Programs at The Circulate Initiative.
“The IKEA Foundation is proud to support the Responsible Sourcing Initiative, which aligns with our goal to create a better life for people while protecting our planet,” says Vivek Singh, Head of Employment and Entrepreneurship at the IKEA Foundation. “By reducing plastic waste and improving waste workers’ livelihoods, we aim to contribute to a circular economy that is fair, just, and inclusive.”