THE PROBLEM

Significant plastic waste volumes are entering the ocean in countries that lack basic waste management and recycling infrastructure to collect, process and contain plastic waste before it reaches the ocean. Research shows that a 45% reduction in plastic leakage is possible by improving waste management infrastructure in just five countries in Asia.

Source: https://www.circulatecapital.com/

THE SOLUTION

Circulate Capital established the world’s first investment fund dedicated to preventing ocean plastic: the Circulate Capital Ocean Fund (CCOF). Its goal is to invest in companies that prevent plastic pollution and advance the circular economy in South and Southeast Asia, thereby proving the investment case and catalyzing significant capital into the solutions. 

Circulate Capital’s purpose is to enable financing to businesses operating in the solid waste management and recycling sector, focusing on three principal segments of the waste management supply chain: collection, sorting/process, and recycling/end markets. They are particularly interested in projects that offer:

• Opportunities to implement more efficient collection and aggregation, and/or to apply more professional management, within the existing infrastructure, including the informal sector (e.g., ‘waste or rag pickers’), for plastics and other commodities within the waste stream.
• Opportunities to galvanize underutilized assets that may contribute to more efficient collection, sorting, and recycling or end use of plastics and other commodities within the waste stream.
• Technologies, materials, applications and projects that contribute to either 01 or 02.

ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS

Circulate Capital is a unique investment fund that leverages blended financing from private and public sectors. Alternative solutions include grant or pilot funding by intergovernmental agencies, governments and private industry.

CASE STUDY EXAMPLES

Tridi Oasis, Tangerang, Indonesia 

Tridi Oasis is an Indonesian, female-led company specialising in recycling PET bottles into rPET flakes, which are used in the production of packaging and textiles. Tridi Oasis is working closely with local and international partners as well as local communities to advance the circular economy, create more sustainable jobs for Indonesians along the waste management value chain and create a positive impact on the environment. They are also closely collaborating with their network of suppliers on the traceability of the materials they recycle.

Lucro, Mumbai, India

Lucro specialises in recycling difficult-to-manage flexible plastic packaging for use in its own manufacturing and for sale as high-quality commodities to other facilities across the country. Lucro focuses on films and flexible plastic that many others ignore because they believe there is inherent, untapped value that can be realised by turning plastic waste into valuable products.

Lucro's trademark Plast-E-Cycle™ process sets new standards for the industry, as they buy back and recycle flexible plastic from manufacturers, retailers, distributors, scrap aggregators and waste pickers, thereby closing the loop in plastic usage.

See Circulate Capital's website for more information:  

https://www.circulatecapital.com/