Are you an entrepreneur in the Philippines with a weapon against single-use plastics? If so, join the Plastic-Free Future Philippines campaign.
Southeast Asia is experiencing an increasing demand for packaging, especially for single-use plastics (SUPs), which mainly consist of polystyrene and other types of nonrecyclable plastics (films, sachets, etc.). By 2025, SUPs will make up over 70% of the region’s food packaging market.
In particular, the Philippines is known as a “sachet economy.” It consumes 163 million sachets and single-use plastics a day, disposed of 17.5 billion each year. Tourism, fishing, and shipping are all affected, especially in coastal communities.
RELEVANT SUSTAINABLE GOALS
The food service industry uses a lot of single-use packaging, from supplies to preparation. In light of COVID-19, off-premise food services like deliveries, drive-throughs, and takeaways have exploded, becoming a lifeline for some operators. However, being entirely reliant on their supply chains, the sector is unaccustomed to working with alternative solutions by early-stage companies.
Most alternative solutions are driven by early-stage companies, which face a lack of capital, collaborative industry partners, managerial experience, underdeveloped value chains, and complex policy and regulatory frameworks.
Plastic Free Future Philippines 2022
Villgro Philippines, together with The Incubation Network, is now accepting applications from aspiring changemakers, social entrepreneurs, and ventures in the Philippines to join Plastic-Free Future Philippines Challenge 2022. Up to 20 participants will be selected to join the program and receive support to design and run solutions with our F&B partners to help them reduce single-use plastic wastes.
Plastic-Free Future Philippines is a 5-month program for Philippine ventures and innovators that combines :
- Vital acceleration support
- customised mentorship
- investment – readiness training
- international innovation exchanges
- up to USD 1,500 in funding to support pilots with F&B partners
The program has two circularity models :
(1) alternatives to plastics made from agricultural waste or by-products or alternatives that are home-compostable
(2) circular refill or reuse models.
Apply if,
- You are an early-stage entrepreneur, startup, or SME in the Philippines
- You are working on a production/service that is applicable to help reduce Single Use Plastics in F&B industry
- You have an existing product/service that will be ready to run a short pilot with our F&B partners in August 2022.
This challenge is implemented by The Incubation Network and funded by the PREVENT Waste Alliance, an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and ECCA Family Foundation. The SUP Challenge is part of PREVENT’s Innovate & PREVENT programme.
Apply today if you have an innovative solution to address single-use plastics in the Food & Beverage sector.
Last date for applications: May 22, 2022
For more details visit: http://villgrophilippines.org/pffp/
About Villgro Philippines
Villgro Philippines is an early-stage impact enterprise incubator that mentors, funds, and nurtures entrepreneurs who are building innovative market-based solutions that can transform the lives of the poor. Our incubation and acceleration model is designed to provide highly customized early-stage support that is anchored in access to risk capital, high quality mentoring, investment readiness and access to talent, networks and markets.
About The Incubation Network
The Incubation Network is a catalyst for action and investment in the circular economy that aims to prevent the flow of plastic waste into the world’s ocean. TIN has connected network of innovators, investors, civil society organizations, and government leaders across those key South and Southeast Asian countries. Collectively, they design and deliver programs that drive investment, innovation, and partnerships for inclusive and gender-responsive waste management and circular economy solutions.
The article was initially published on 13th May 2022.
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