How we work

Our operations

We are a registered charity based in the Isle of Wight, UK. Our head offices are home to a diverse team covering our work in Europe, Africa, Asia, and globally. We work closely with two associated charities, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Inc in the USA (covering North America, with a small team based in New York City) and Ellen MacArthur Foundation Brazil (covering Latin America, with a small team based in São Paulo).

Our funding

As a charity, all our income is used to further our mission to accelerate the transition to a circular economycircular economyA systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. It is based on three principles, driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature.. Our funding comes from philanthropic organisations such as charitable foundations, and businesses which access our circular economy events, knowledge exchange, tools and resources through our Network.

The diversity of our funding sources is important, since we will only achieve our mission if we’re able to set an ambitious agenda, and goals that are independent of our funders or any other stakeholders.

We do not raise funds from members of the public, nor do we offer grants to businesses, non-profit organisations or individuals.

Our approach

We choose to engage with the current system to drive change quickly. This means building strong relationships with decision-makers from business, government and academia, designers, innovators, NGOs and others. We believe businesses play a crucial role in shifting the system. We recognise that currently many businesses are part of the problem, but given their capacity to innovate and ability to drive change quickly and at scale in global markets, they also need to be part of the solution. 

Underpinned by our independent charity governance, we create new collaborations and challenge the organisations we work with to raise their ambition levels, set ambitious goals supported by evidence-based analysis, and stimulate new and better solutions at scale and speed.

Our pioneering work on plastics has achieved an unprecedented level of collaboration to eliminate plastic pollution, bringing together more than 1,000 public and private organisations, large and small, from across sectors and industries around the world, including many of the world’s largest producers, users, and recyclers of plastic packaging, to work towards a common goal of creating a circular economy for plastics. 

Contacts and media enquiries

For all press enquiries including logo usage requests and use of our research and content, please see our media centre.