Ellen MacArthur Foundation

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to accelerating the transition to a circular economy. It develops and promotes a systemic framework designed to eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials at their highest value, and regenerate natural systems. The Foundation achieves this by working with businesses, policymakers, and educational institutions, providing them with research, insights, and practical tools to implement circular economy principles and foster innovation.

The Foundation was established in 2010 by Dame Ellen MacArthur, a renowned British sailor. Her record-breaking solo circumnavigation of the globe brought into sharp focus the finite nature of resources, providing the foundational insight that inspired her to pivot from professional sailing to advocating for a regenerative economic model. This personal experience underpinned her commitment to fostering a sustainable future beyond the linear "take-make-dispose" approach.

The Foundation’s initiatives are adopted by a broad audience, including corporations seeking sustainable business models, government bodies crafting policy, and academic institutions integrating circular economy concepts into their curricula. Its long-term vision is to create an economic system that is restorative and regenerative by design, benefiting people and the planet by ensuring resources are kept in use for as long as possible, extracting maximum value from them while in use, then recovering and regenerating products and materials at the end of service life.