UNILEVER said it and its partners have established an organization to issue grants to Philippine organizations engaged in plastic waste collection, processing, and recycling.
In partnership with the US Agency for International Aid, and Ernst and Young Global Ltd., Unilever-founded Catalyzing Inclusive, Resilient, and Circular Local Economies or the CIRCLE Alliance will fund qualified enterprises.
“CIRCLE’s collaborative model of enterprise acceleration — delivered through a mix of grant funding and bespoke business support — will help scale both new and existing solutions for packaging circularity, whether that’s driving collection and recycling, or reuse–refill models,” according to Rebecca Marmot, chief sustainability officer and member of the Unilever Leadership Council.
“Crucially, it will support small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs that offer impactful, market-based solutions but are currently too small to work at the scale we need,” she added.
Aside from grants, Unilever also has the Misis Walastik (Wise on Plastic) program which aims to address plastic pollution in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
“The momentum for solutions and collaborations to help fix the plastic waste issue is gaining even more speed,” CIRCLE Alliance Lead for Southeast Asia and Philippines Sustainability Lead Rondell Torres said.
“With the Circle Alliance across Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, Unilever is putting its expertise and networks to help build a fair and equitable circular economy for plastics in the Philippines and hopefully across Southeast Asia,” he added.
Aside from the Philippines, CIRCLE Alliance will also offer grants to enterprises in South and Southeast Asia.
“Unilever believes that the CIRCLE Alliance will make a meaningful impact and create value for emerging circular solutions and recognizes the socioeconomic impact of the plastics value chain,” the company said.
Enterprises planning to apply for CIRCLE Alliance grants can send in their applications until Oct. 4. — Justine Irish D. Tabile