Connecting ecosystem to the evolution of circular policies and solutions in real time

Connecting ecosystem to the evolution of circular policies and solutions in real time

Introducing

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Experiential Intelligence on Circular Solutions & Policy in the United States

Upcoming Activations

09-17-2025 09-18-2025
South End Arts & Innovation District | Burlington, Vermont
OPLN’s CIRCLE 2026-27 EPR Launchpad @ See Change
On September 17 & 18, OPLN’s CIRCLE program will host a two-day summit at the See Change conference in Burlington, Vermont. This gathering—The 2026–2027 EPR Launchpad—will serve as a strategic touchpoint for packaging policy leaders across the country.
10-14-2025 10-16-2025
Vancouver, British Columbia
CIRCLE's October 2025 Expeditionary Summit
Between October 14-16, 2025, CIRCLE will bring multi-stakeholder leaders to Vancouver, British Columbia to gain hands-on experience with circular systems in action.
08-05-2025 08-14-2025
Geneva, Switzerland
INC 5.2
UN Global Plastics Treaty
The second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5.2), is scheduled to take place from 5 to 14 August 2025 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The resumed session will be preceded by regional consultations on 4 August 2025.

Our impact to date

Since its inception, OPLN has served as a neutral convener, bringing together historically oppositional stakeholders to build consensus and drive action on the most complex challenges in the plastics system. Its work spans critical issues such as extended producer responsibility (EPR), deposit return systems, reuse and refill models, advanced/molecular/chemical recycling, alternative materials, and chemicals of concern.

OPLN’s network reaches across the full packaging value chain—including leading brands, material producers, recyclers, packaging-focused NGOs, and local, national, and supranational governments.

400+organizations
79activations
07countries
From Legislation to Implementation: CIRCLE’s Role in the Evolving Landscape of U.S. EPR Policy

From Legislation to Implementation: CIRCLE’s Role in the Evolving Landscape of U.S. EPR Policy

Explore how Maryland and Washington joined the wave of EPR packaging laws in 2025. Learn about CIRCLE's role in advancing U.S. circular policy, upcoming plenaries, the Montréal summit, and insights from state and federal regulatory leaders.

Momentum Builds for Recycling Changes: EPR, DRS, ACM, and Resource Security

Momentum Builds for Recycling Changes: EPR, DRS, ACM, and Resource Security

Lawmakers unite on EPR, DRS, and advanced recycling in a House hearing aiming to modernize America’s broken recycling system and boost resource security. EPR, advanced recycling, deposit return, U.S. House hearing, recycling reform, resource security, bipartisan legislation, STEWARD Act, CIRCLE Act

Tracking with the Plastic Pollution Treaty: INC-4 Aftermath, Intersessionals in Thailand, and the Road to INC-5 in South Korea

Tracking with the Plastic Pollution Treaty: INC-4 Aftermath, Intersessionals in Thailand, and t...

The origin story

The OPLN network was born at the Ocean Plastics Leadership Summit — the first event of its kind — convening leading organizations in the plastics supply chain in one of the world’s five major oceanic gyres. From May 17–21, 2019, approximately 160 Summit participants — including corporate executives, NGOs, scientists, artists, innovators, and students — set out to experience the ocean plastics crisis firsthand, both onshore and directly in the Sargasso Sea, home to the North Atlantic Gyre.

The Plastics Landscape is complex and chaotic

Ocean Plastics Newsletter

Your bi-weekly deep dive into the world of ocean plastics