In 10 short years, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) arguably has done more than any other group to define and advance the circular economy.

Its landmark report, "The New Plastics Economy" (PDF),  sounded the alarm in 2016 that if "business as usual" continues, by 2025 the ocean may hold more plastic than fish by weight. Its commitment by the same name has attracted many of the planet's biggest brand names, among 450-plus signatories, to dramatically slash their use or production of plastic by 2025.

Only five years ago, few corporate leaders had plastic pollution on their official radar.

Yet Dame Ellen MacArthur herself is floored by the rapid pace of change in business that has been forced by the COVID-19 pandemic. In food, for instance, business models and distribution methods were reshaped in a matter of weeks, as supply chains flexed to keep groceries in stock and farmers struggled to offload overripe crops. Digital networks and online platforms scaled to meet spiking demand during social distancing. In all this, she finds hope for systemic change toward a circular economy.

There are special challenges in this COVID-19 era, as single-use plastics, including disposable masks laced with microplastic fibers, flood waste streams and waterways at unprecedented levels. Yet advancing circularity also helps to meet climate targets. What does MacArthur consider crucial to making a difference on circularity in the next year or so?

"We have an opportunity right now, like we've not had before, because of something tragic, to build in a different way," including for the automotive, industrial and infrastructure sectors, she said. "Accepting what that looks like and making it happen, that for me, that’s the step."

Read the full article about moving towards a circular economy to reduce plastic pollution by Elsa Wenzel at GreenBiz.