Value proposition

Keeping plastic in the economy and out of the ocean. Convened by The Circulate Initiative, Amplified by Lonely Whale.

NextWave Plastics is a member-led, collaborative and open-source initiative, convening leading multinational companies to develop the first global network of socially responsible ocean-bound plastic supply chains. Recognizing that that one company by itself cannot keep plastic in the economy and out of our ocean, Lonely Whale and Dell Technologies founded NextWave in 2017.

Lonely Whale led the consortium for six strong years, engaged 17 global brands, and defined a primary goal to prevent 25,000 metric tons of plastic waste from entering the oceans by 2025 across countries most impacted by plastic pollution. In 2023, The Circulate Initiative joined forces with Lonely Whale as the lead convener of NextWave, alongside Lonely Whale as its amplification partner, to advance the consortium’s collective commitment to social responsibility and social impact. Current NextWave members include CPI Card Group, Dell Technologies, Humanscale, HP Inc, IKEA, Interface, Logitech, MillerKnoll, Polyvisions Inc, Prevented Ocean Plastic, Solgaard, #tide Ocean Material, and Veritiv.

NextWave’s work has resulted in award wins from the United Nations SDG Action Awards, the Business Intelligence Sustainability Awards, Reuters Responsible Business Awards, Anthem Awards, Fast Company Most Innovative Companies, and more.

Ocean-Bound Plastic, Socially Responsible Supply Chains, and Cross Sector Collaboration