Published on
Climate

This is part of a series of impact stories highlighted in our 2024 Impact Report. To explore more impact stories, see the full collection.

The circular economy represents a major – and largely untapped – opportunity for economic growth and climate action in North America. Our goal is to highlight the circular economy’s potential as a driver of decarbonisation, job creation, and waste reduction across the United States. To support this effort, we published An Innovation Pathway to Decarbonization in April, a report showing how adopting circular practices in key, carbon-intensive sectors like the built environment, EV batteries, and electronics can accelerate climate progress while delivering economic benefits. By joining the dots between the circular economy and these national priorities, we are demonstrating its potential as a powerful solution for economic resilience, innovation, and sustainability while encouraging policymakers and business leaders to take action in the world’s largest economy.

Applying the circular economy in just three key sectors in the USA – the built environment, EV batteries, and electronics – is an economic opportunity of up to USD 1.5 trillion.

To amplify these insights, we engaged key stakeholders through targeted communications and events. During New York Climate Week, for example, our events on tech, food, finance and decarbonisation, highlighted the circular economy’s role in tackling the climate crisis. 

Dame Ellen MacArthur and Jane Goodall with Kara Hurst, CSO, Amazon, at the Climate Pledge Summit

Dame Ellen MacArthur and Jane Goodall with Kara Hurst, CSO, Amazon, at the Climate Pledge Summit

These and other efforts have helped us to shape US policy. In addition to our insights and outreach, we co-hosted an event with the US State Department on reuse in advance of INC-4 plastics treaty negotiations, engaged with the White House and State Department to raise US ambition in these negotiations, and contributed to the US Government Accountability Office’s report on textile waste. Our input also helped inform the White House's ambitious strategy on plastics, published last summer.

30% of our Business Network is headquartered in North America.

We have worked to develop and implement transformative circular tools and innovations for business. For example, we contributed to the development of Circular Living Standards, operated by WRAP, which use trusted third-party certifications to promote better product design. In particular, our expertise in measurement and reporting standards has helped to impact and shape the Pre-Loved Standard, to more closely align with our vision for a circular economy for fashion, and to articulate the positive impact of keeping products in use, at their highest value, for as long as possible. These innovations are helping to harmonise the industry.

With a developing context within North America, the circular economy remains constant as a highly relevant economic solutions approach. We will continue to respond with agility, connecting the circular economy into themes relevant to North American industry and policy stakeholders.

In this collection

View impact stories hub
Bottles
Article

Towards a global solution for plastic pollution

Our advocacy for an ambitious global plastics treaty has been at the heart of our plastics...

  • Plastics
Farmers field
Article

Cultivating change: designing a nature-positive food system

In the second year of our Big Food Redesign Challenge, participants moved into the production phase...

  • Food
Clothing textiles
Article

Shaping a future-fit fashion industry

In May, we launched Fashion ReModel, the world's first accelerator for circular business models in...

  • Fashion
Woman signing a policy document
Article

Informing and mobilising ambitious policy

Our policy work is expanding the uptake of the circular economy around the world through targeted...

  • Policy
People collaborating at an event
Article

Powering change through partnerships and collaboration

Our Network connects global changemakers advancing the circular economy.

  • Design
City buildings
Article

Financing the future: building the case for circular investments

We've made significant progress in positioning the circular economy as an attractive investment...

  • Finance
Impact report 2024 cover

Breaking new ground

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Impact Report Summary 2024

We are a leading global organisation committed to transforming the economy so that it works for people and the environment.

View report

You may also like

  • Climate