Promoting A Circular Economy

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is celebrating its ten year anniversary. During that time, it has emerged as a global thought leader, tackling some of the biggest challenges of our time, such as waste, pollution, and climate change.

Support from players of People's Postcode Lottery has meant it has been able to do so much more than it set out to achieve. For almost half of its existence, our players have assisted it in advancing the transition to a new economic system - one that moves away from consuming finite resources and producing waste, to one that works for people and the environment in the long term - the circular economy.

Regenerating Natural Systems

Founded in 2010, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation has established the circular economy on the agenda of decision makers around the world to help provide solutions for many global problems, such as climate change and resource waste. A circular economy designs out waste and pollution, keeps products and materials in use, and regenerates natural systems, creating benefits for society, the environment, and the economy.

The Foundation develops and promotes the idea of the circular economy. People's Postcode Lottery players are supporting its learning programmes, including its regular interactive online events that aim to shift mindsets and inspire action towards a circular economy, and the development of a variety of multimedia content for an immersive online Learning Hub - available to anyone, anywhere.

The charity engages - and inspires - key actors in the system. A new economic system requires a huge amount of collaboration - nobody can make this shift happen on their own. Our players are supporting this work with policymakers and governments at all levels, to enable the transition, and provide cutting-edge research and analysis to inform decisions. Recently, this has included highlighting how applying circular economy principles across just five industry areas (cement, plastics, steel, aluminium, and food) has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 9.3 billion tonnes by 2050 - equivalent to eliminating current emissions from all forms of transport globally.

In order to address the global challenges we are facing, rapid action is needed on a global scale. Players of People's Postcode Lottery are helping to transform industries including plastics, fashion, and food, by providing a platform for world-leading organisations to collaborate and innovate. Some highlights from these major projects include:

• Plastics: More than 20% of the global plastics packaging market have committed to eliminate the plastic we don't need.
• Fashion: By the end of 2021, the brands and retailers the Foundation are working with will have produced over half a million pairs of jeans that are fit for a circular economy, reducing waste and pollution.
• Food: The charity is working with cities all over the world to tackle climate change, create healthy communities, rebuild biodiversity, and create new business opportunities.

Over the last ten years, the Foundation's mission has been to help millions of people worldwide understand the circular economy as a better way of doing things. Learn more by visiting the Learning Hub and discover the circular economy in more detail.

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