Circular Packaging Association Business Group

Business Group Sustainability

About

The Circular Packaging Association (CPA) is a pioneering public-private partnership established in 2023 to transform the UAE's packaging value chain through circular economy principles. As the first cross-sectoral platform of its kind in the region, the CPA brings together leading companies, government entities, and non-profit organizations to address the challenges of packaging waste and resource efficiency. The association operates under the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and includes 14 founding organizations spanning the packaging value chain—from multinational corporations like Unilever, PepsiCo, Nestlé, and Procter & Gamble to industry associations including the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) and Emirates Nature-WWF.

The CPA serves as a critical bridge between industry and policymakers, facilitating dialogue and collaboration to advance the UAE's sustainability agenda. The association plays a vital role in supporting the implementation of the UAE Circular Economy Policy 2021-2031 and the nation's Net Zero by 2050 commitments. Through its multi-stakeholder, data-driven approach, the CPA provides strategic policy recommendations, drives consumer awareness on sustainable packaging, and advocates for regulatory frameworks that enable circular business models. By uniting diverse perspectives from across the packaging ecosystem, the association helps Dubai's business community transition from a linear "take-make-dispose" model to one that treats post-consumer packaging waste as a valuable resource for reuse and recovery.

Mission & Mandate

The Circular Packaging Association's mission is to embed circular and green economy principles into the UAE's packaging value chain, transforming the existing linear system into one that views post-consumer packaging waste as a valued resource. Through strategic public-private collaboration, the CPA drives systemic change across the packaging ecosystem.

Core Objectives:

• Policy Engagement & Advocacy: Provide data-driven insights and recommendations on legislation and policies related to sustainable packaging at both federal and local levels, supporting the UAE's transition to a circular economy

• Industry Collaboration: Foster strategic partnerships across the packaging value chain to scale sustainable packaging solutions and implement circular business models

• Consumer Awareness: Drive public education on the importance of sustainable packaging practices and circular economy principles

• Knowledge Sharing & Best Practices: Facilitate dialogue between businesses, regulators, and environmental stakeholders through workshops, industry events, and thought leadership initiatives

• Innovation & Solutions Development: Support the development of innovative approaches to eliminate packaging waste from the environment while recovering its value as a resource

• Regulatory Framework Development: Work with government authorities to shape effective policies that enable sustainable packaging systems, including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes and recycling infrastructure

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