Global Environment Facility (GEF) Plastics Funding & Plastic Reboot Programme

Enriched multilateral · Found: 2026-03-10 17:38

GEF has channeled ~$1B into plastics projects over the past decade with $6.6B in co-financing. Plastic Reboot programme is $108M investment targeting upstream circular solutions in food/beverage sector across 15 countries. Supports governments, NGOs, intergovernmental orgs.

Source: https://thegef.org/what-we-do/topics/plastics

Funding Details

Funder

Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Funding Goal

Address plastic pollution through a circular economy approach spanning the entire plastics value chain — upstream measures to reduce production and consumption, midstream interventions including waste management and recycling infrastructure, and downstream solutions. The Plastic Reboot Integrated Programme (formerly Circular Solutions to Plastic Pollution) focuses on reducing single-use plastics and packaging in the food and beverage sector, private sector engagement, and supporting circular economy transitions in 15 countries.

Funding Amount

GEF has invested ~$1 billion in plastics-related projects over the past decade, generating ~$7.8 billion in co-financing. The Plastic Reboot Integrated Programme is $108M. GEF-8 and GEF-9 replenishments continue this funding. (up to 108.000.000 €)

How to Apply

Access GEF funding via GEF Agencies (UNEP, UNDP, WWF, World Bank, etc.). Develop project concept in cooperation with national GEF Focal Point. Submit project through a GEF Agency for review and approval by GEF Council. The Plastic Reboot programme is implemented through a Global Project plus 15 National Projects in specific countries.

Target Region

Global — active in 122 countries; Plastic Reboot specifically active in: Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, India, Jordan, Laos, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, South Africa

Last Checked

2026-03-15 10:57

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Work through a GEF Implementing Agency (UNEP, UNDP, WWF, UNIDO, World Bank, etc.)
• Project must be located in a GEF recipient (developing) country
• Engage national GEF Focal Point for endorsement

Project Scope

• Project must align with GEF focal area objectives (plastics, circular economy, pollution reduction)
• Upstream measures (production/consumption reduction) or downstream circular economy solutions required
• Plastic Reboot: focus on food and beverage sector single-use packaging

Required Documents

• Project concept document required, including environmental baseline and expected outcomes

Constraints

• Co-financing / leveraged investment expected alongside GEF grant

Summary

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a major multilateral funding mechanism that has invested approximately $1 billion in plastics-related projects across 122 countries over the past decade, leveraging nearly $8 billion in co-financing. Its plastics portfolio spans the entire value chain from upstream reduction to downstream waste management and circular economy solutions. Thematic scope includes: plastic waste reduction, single-use plastic elimination, circular economy approaches, marine plastic pollution prevention, informal sector waste picker livelihoods, sustainable tourism, private sector engagement, government policy support, and recycling infrastructure. The Plastic Reboot Integrated Programme specifically focuses on single-use packaging in the food and beverage sector. Eligible activities include research and innovation on plastic alternatives, incubator and accelerator programs for startups, waste management infrastructure, capacity building for informal sector workers, policy development, and multi-stakeholder engagement across the plastics value chain. Geographic scope is global, with GEF active in 122 developing countries. The Plastic Reboot programme is specifically active in 15 countries: Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, India, Jordan, Laos, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, and South Africa — several overlapping with OPF target regions. Eligible applicants access GEF funding through GEF Implementing Agencies (UNEP, UNDP, WWF, UNIDO, World Bank, etc.) rather than directly. Governments, NGOs, and private sector actors in recipient countries can participate through these agencies. Partnership with a GEF Agency is required for project implementation. Target beneficiaries include coastal communities, informal waste sector workers, small and medium enterprises, governments of developing countries, and ecosystems affected by plastic pollution. The GEF Plastic Reboot budget is $108 million for the current programme cycle, with GEF-9 replenishment underway to continue funding beyond the current period.

Historical Context

GEF has been working on plastics since 2010, initially through efforts on persistent organic pollutants (POPs). In the past decade, $1 billion of GEF funding channeled into plastics-related projects, generating nearly $8 billion in co-financing, preventing nearly 25 million metric tons of plastics from entering the waste stream. GEF supported the launch of the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment in 2018. Plastic Reboot was launched in 2023 as an Integrated Programme under GEF-8.

Why it was added

Major multilateral funder with billion-dollar track record in plastics projects - highly relevant for marine conservation NGOs seeking substantial funding

Sources

• https://thegef.org/what-we-do/topics/plastics
• https://plastic-reboot.org/en
• https://www.thegef.org/what-we-do/topics/integrated-programs

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