On May 18, 2017 the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, together with the Prince of Wale’s International Sustainability Unit, announced the launch of the New Plastics Economy Innovation Prize worth U.S. $2 million. The Innovation Prize calls for innovators, designers, scientists, and entrepreneurs to redesign packaging to help prevent plastics entering the ocean and keeping its value in the economy. The Prize consists of two parallel challenges: 1) The $1 million Circular Design Challenge seeking solutions for delivering products to people without generating plastic waste, and 2) the $1 million Circular Materials Challenge looking for ways to make all plastic packaging recyclable.
Innovators entering the challenges will compete for up to U.S. $2 million in grants and visibility of their solutions to businesses, the innovator community, and the public. Challenge winners will enter a 12-month accelerator program offering access to industry experts, commercial guidance, feedback on user and scalability requirements, advice on performance expectations, and access to innovation labs for testing and development. The first winners will be announced later in 2017.
The Innovation Prize will be launched at an event on May 18, 2017, 06:30 pm GMT, in London, UK. The event will be live-streamed via facebook.
Read more
New Plastics Economy (May 18, 2017). “New plastics economy innovation prize.”
Jim Johnson (May 17, 2017). “$2 million prize aimed at keeping plastics out of the ocean.” Plastics News
Plastic Pollution Coalition (May 18, 2017). “Ellen Macarthur launches $2 million innovation prize to solve plastic pollution.”
ACC (May 18, 2017). “Plastics makers welcome new plastics economy innovation prize.”
Lorraine Chow (May 19, 2017). “Prince Charles: It’s time to solve the ‘human disaster’ of plastics in the world’s oceans.” EcoWatch
