OPLN is a mission-driven organization at the forefront of the circularity movement and the global plastics crisis
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.
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Our history
2019
Born in the Ocean
The OPLN was born from bringing environmental NGOs and activists 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
Environmental NGO-to-Industry Network Development
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.
Stakeholders across activism, industry, policy, finance and re-search lack crisis fluency and a platform
We bring environmental intelligence within reach of the crises stakeholders to build capacity for collaborative fluency and accelerate adoption of treaties and solutions.