Behind the Circle
Circle was founded in 2019 as the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network (OPLN) to create a neutral, trusted space for the plastics and circularity ecosystem. Since its inception, OPLN has convened more than 100 in-person and virtual gatherings, bringing together thousands of leaders across government, industry, academia, finance, and advocacy to surface alignment, build shared understanding, and bridge perspectives across traditionally opposing and disparate voices.
As Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies accelerate across U.S. jurisdictions, Circle builds on eight years of neutral convening experience to provide a unique pre-competitive, nonpartisan intelligence platform. The network equips legislators, industry leaders, and advocates with trusted insights, structured dialogue, and real-time awareness of evolving circular economy solutions and policy developments.
Principles
Our goal is simple: Create experiences,
programs, and tools that help everyone
learn — whether they support these policies,
oppose them, or simply want to understand
what’s coming.
Non-Partisan
We are nonpartisan. We are neutral.
We create a space where policymakers,
industry, scientists, and NGOs can learn,
compare, and understand emerging
packaging and recycling systems without
advocacy, pressure, or predetermined
outcomes.
Neutral
We do not lobby, advocate for specific legislative or regulatory outcomes, or promote commercial positions. Our purpose is to provide an educational forum for shared learning and dialogue.
Practical
We help policymakers, NGOs, and industry leaders make sense of circular packaging policy and recycling infrastructure. That’s the world Circle is working in, not abstract sustainability, but the real-life system behind everyday consumption.
Our Milestones
Circle was built on eight years of neutral convening experience
2019
Born at sea
Ocean Plastics Leadership Summit
In 2019, we invited 165 leaders representing corporations, NGOs and government organizations, on a ship bound for the Sargasso Sea — home to the North Atlantic Ocean Gyre. This area’s unique Sargassum seaweed ecosystem, acts as a net for plastic, allowing participants to see the gravity of the ocean plastics problem first hand.
2021
Covening Thousands of Stakeholders Globally
In March 2021, in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Greenpeace, OPLN launched the Global Treaty Dialogues (GTD), an informal public forum for sustainability leaders engaging private sector, government, NGO and underrepresented stakeholders to participate in the UN Plastics Treaty process. Global Treaty Dialogues were scheduled in conjunction with the INCs (Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee).
2022
Circle is Born
Since 2022, OPLN has organized 7 Circular Policy Technical Expeditions across the United States, Canada, and Europe, resulting in the establishment of CIRCLE, the U.S. Circular Policy Leadership Network.
These expeditions have facilitated dialogue among organizations and leaders who traditionally operate in separate spheres, thereby informing policy development. U.S. policymakers, industry, environmental organizations, and stakeholders throughout the packaging value chain require a dedicated platform for collaborative discourse and knowledge exchange to accelerate progress.
2023
Official Multi-stakeholder Convener for United Kingdom
UK National Treaty Dialogues
In October 2023, OPLN received ministerial approval from the UK government, along with match funding, to continue the National Multi-Stakeholder Dialogues with an objective to identify cross sectoral alignment for the UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution (INC-1 - INC-5) leveraging sentiment data.
2024
Momentum accelerates
The network grew. Conversations became policy proposals. Members started moving from learning to implementation across multiple continents.
2025
The Legislator Guide for Circular Policy
Launched the first centralized, non-partisan repository providing legislators with cross-value-chain insight into EPR design and implementation.
2026
Birth of the EPR Readiness Circle
Circle launched the EPR Readiness Circle — a cross-functional forum for obligated producers navigating reporting, source-reduction, and compliance coordination across the first wave of U.S. EPR states.
People behind Circle
The people driving circular policy forward across sectors and borders.
Steers Circle's mission and builds bridges between unlikely allies.
Powers Circle end-to-end — from program strategy and finance to operations and product.
Brings expeditions to life and shapes monthly conversations that matter.
Builds and manages our membership and partners, shaping the program strategy, and driving marketing & communications.
Our Advisors
