Alliance Unveils Strategy 2030 To End Plastic Waste

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste has released its Progress Report 2024: Evolving for Impact. This report celebrates five years of measurable progress and announces a new strategic direction aimed at speeding up the global shift to a circular plastics economy.

Since its start in 2019, the Alliance’s initiatives have removed nearly 240,000 tonnes of unmanaged plastic waste from the environment. They have also recovered over 253,000 tonnes for recycling or repurposing. Beyond these environmental gains, the projects backed by the Alliance have created 2,134 formal jobs and secured more than US$610 million in external funding commitments. The organisation claims these results show the effectiveness of its collaborative approach and provide a solid basis for expanding solutions to the plastic waste crisis.

Jacob Duer, President and CEO of the Alliance, reflected on this milestone in a statement with the report. “As we mark five years of action, our focus is sharper than ever,” he said. “Our Strategy 2030 builds on those lessons, and we are doubling down on what works to drive greater impact at scale.”

The new strategy represents a clear shift in approach. While the Alliance’s early years included many smaller projects across different areas, Strategy 2030 focuses on fewer, much larger, integrated programs. These will either be country-specific, aligned with national priorities, or thematic, targeting ongoing global challenges in plastics management. The initial geographic focus will be on India, Indonesia, and South Africa, each receiving at least US$100 million in total financing to develop high-impact, sustainable solutions.

The choice to focus on these three countries reflects the scale of the plastic waste problem in emerging economies and the potential for significant change through targeted investment. By consolidating resources and building stronger public-private partnerships, the Alliance aims to maximize environmental, social, and economic gains in areas needing intervention the most.

Flexible plastics—which include films, pouches, and multilayer packaging—will be the first major issue addressed under the new strategy. These materials are popular for their convenience and durability but are hard to recycle due to their composite nature and contamination issues. In many regions, flexible plastics often end up in landfills or pollute the environment, significantly affecting waterways and oceans. By focusing on this type of plastic, the Alliance hopes to develop scalable, cost-effective recycling solutions that can be used worldwide.

Tracey Campbell, Chair of the Board of the Alliance, stressed the importance of collective action in tackling such complex challenges. “By bringing together industries, governments, and communities around proven solutions, we can speed up real, global progress toward ending plastic waste,” she said. Campbell pointed out that the success of Strategy 2030 will depend on collaboration across sectors, using innovative technologies, and raising financial resources to unprecedented levels.

To support this ambitious agenda, the Alliance plans to increase the use of blended finance, a model that combines public and private funding to reduce investment risks in waste management infrastructure and recycling systems. This approach is especially useful in developing markets, where funding shortages and perceived risks can block large-scale projects. By drawing capital from various sources, the Alliance aims to spark investments that would not happen otherwise, speeding up the implementation of solutions that provide both environmental and economic benefits.

The Progress Report 2024 also highlights the Alliance’s changing role, moving beyond just funding. It is increasingly acting as a convener and facilitator, uniting stakeholders from across the plastics value chain to share best practices, develop technical skills, and scale successful models. From community collection systems to advanced recycling technologies, the Alliance supports a range of solutions designed to prevent plastic waste from entering the environment.

Looking forward, the Alliance imagines a world where plastics remain in the economy instead of nature. Strategy 2030 aims to make that vision a reality by focusing on systemic change rather than isolated projects. By addressing the root problems that hinder plastics circularity—such as inadequate infrastructure, fragmented value chains, and limited demand for recycled materials—the organisation hopes to create lasting change that extends well beyond individual project lifespans.

The release of the Progress Report 2024 signals not just a moment for reflection but also a call to action for governments, businesses, investors, and civil society. With plastic production and use expected to keep rising in the coming decades, the need for sustainable solutions is more urgent than ever. The Alliance’s commitment to mobilising over US$100 million in targeted investment for each priority country, along with its focus on difficult-to-recycle plastics, marks a critical step toward tackling one of our time’s most urgent environmental challenges.

In its first five years, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste has shown that coordinated, well-funded action can lead to tangible results. With Strategy 2030, it sets the stage for a new era of impact, one that aims to transform how the world produces, uses, and recycles plastics while protecting the planet.