OPLN is a learning platform designed to help multi-stakeholder leadership connect to the evolution of circular policy.
Since its inception, OPLN has served as a neutral convener, bringing together historically oppositional stakeholders to provide education, awareness, and practical policy readiness for circular policy. 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.
Our team
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Our history
2019
Born in the Ocean
The OPLN was born from bringing environmental NGOs and Industry together at the North Atlantic Ocean gyre - a region of the Atlantic Ocean where plastic waste congregates - in 2019. This Ocean Plastics Leadership Summit aimed to mobilize all organizations in the plastic value chain. Much more than an industry conference, the Ocean Plastics Leadership Summit was the first event to bring together leading organizations from the plastics supply chain, on a boat, in the North Atlantic Ocean gyre. The experience inspired partnerships, programs, and the action necessary to shift our current global course. Read a profile of the experience from outsideonline.com’s Rowan Jacobsen.
2021
Building multi-stakeholder networks
Together with Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund, the OPLN launched the Global Plastics Treaty Dialogues which brought together leaders from all over the world to discuss the opportunities of a global plastics treaty ahead of the UNEA 5.2 decision to start negotiations in March 2022 totaling 9 global sessions with more than 1000 participants
2022
Scaling Globally
Identifying the need to start discussions at a country level the OPLN launched The Country Dialogues in 6 countries: The United States, Chile, Pakistan, Ghana, Malaysia, Indonesia, and in July 2022, the United Kingdom totaling 15 dialogue sessions and 1200 participants. The OPLN continues to grow its impact network and expand the reach of its capacity building programs covering global, national and local solutions paths to ending the plastics crisis.
2023
Introducing Circle: Where Circular Policy Meets the Read World
The U.S. Circular Policy Leadership Network (Circle) is born, bringing legislators, the full packaging value chain, experts, and NGOs to tour circular systems.
2024
Circle Expands
Circle expands its technical summits and virtual plenaries to audiences across North America and Europe - bringing together more than 75 legislators, policymakers, bill writers, and legislative staff with experts from across the packaging value chain and leading NGOs.
2025
Legislator Guide for Circular Policy
Circle leads the Circular Policy Educational Summit at See Change Conference, bringing together legislators and experts to deepen understanding of circular policy. This exchange highlighted a clear need for a unified, accessible resource to educate policymakers nationwide.
OPLN's mission is to advance knowledge sharing and meet the growing appetite to deeply understand circular policy development & implementation.
What is Environmental Intelligence?
We bring environmental intelligence within reach of the crises stakeholders to build capacity for collaborative fluency and accelerate adoption of treaties and solutions.
