Overview
The work we do supports communities to build sustainable waste management systems that fit their needs. These systems cater to different social and geographical circumstances. We also work on innovating at the earliest stages of product design to facilitate reduction, reuse and recycling of plastics in support of sustainable models. Our projects span the globe with specific focus on areas most vulnerable to the risk of plastic leakage.
ProjectsProject
Addressing an issue of global proportions
Silicon Valley, USA
From driving transparency within the plastics value chain to creating a market for recycled plastics—and there are many success stories from this region. Now into its second accelerator round, the Silicon Valley hub continues to support innovators, looking to bring their best ideas and thinking to the next stage.
Partnering with:
Haridwar Rishikesh, India
Aviral means continuous in Hindi. It is our commitment to curb the flow of plastic waste into the Ganga river. Together with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, we want to unite public and private stakeholders to create and replicate waste management solutions across India.
Partnering with:
Ivory Coast
This project aims to scale-up collection of plastic waste and to build a PET washing facility that is able to process up to 12,000 tons per year of PET flakes. 65 COLIBA containers and more than 100 collection boxes will be set up in Abidjan districts and TOTAL and Shell gas service stations to collect plastic waste directly from the population and the informal collectors.
Partnering with:
Accra, Ghana
Closing the Loop supports entrepreneurs from vulnerable communities to collect and sell plastic waste from the streets of Accra to the first CASH IT! recycling facility. The processed plastic waste is then sold to recyclers, contributing to an emerging circular economy in Accra. After the succesful launch of the first facility, we have expanded our support to build two more recycling facilities in Accra, which will process up to 6000 tons of plastic waste a year once fully operational.
Partnering with:
Paris, France
In 2015, Paris became a city known to have unified nations and organisations on the ambition to combat climate change. Today, we call on all innovators and startups across Europe, the Middle East and Africa to take plastic waste
management solutions a step further. Together with Plug and Play, startups are coming on our Innovation Platform so we can link their ideas and thinking with the expertise and resources from the biggest names in the plastic
value chain.
Partnering with:
Silicon Valley, USA
Literrati started off as one of the finalists participating in the inaugural End Plastic Waste Innovation Platform with Plug and Play and collaborated with us as the global partner to help deliver the All_Together Clean Up campaign for World Cleanup Day in 2020. Following the success of the 3-week campaign where we saw almost 800,000 pieces of litter picked up globally, it has now evolved into a scalable and replicable global Clean4Change programme with participation from the public, schools, member companies and government agencies.
Partnering with:
Nairobi, Mombasa, Kenya; Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
Every day 350 tons of solid waste is generated in Puducherry but there is limited waste infrastructure to manage it. Our partner the Yunus Environment Hub, a spin-off of the Grameen Creative Lab, is helping us address the plastic waste problem from end to end. At the core is how we engage with communities to set up social businesses that turn plastic waste into valuable resources.
Partnering with:
Puducherry, India
Every day 350 tons of solid waste is generated in Puducherry but there is limited waste infrastructure to manage it. Our partner the Yunus Environment Hub, a spin-off of the Grameen Creative Lab, is helping us address the plastic waste problem from end to end. At the core is how we engage with communities to set up social businesses that turn plastic waste into valuable resources.
Partnering with:
Bazaruto, Mozambique
Starting with the island of Bazaruto, we are co-developing a bespoke waste management solution for this 1,400 km2 archipelago park spanning five islands and is home to over 2,000 fish species and megafauna like whales, sharks,
and dolphins. This is just the beginning of working with the African Parks to tackle plastic waste issues in up to 19 national parks and protected areas spanning 14.2 million hectares which represents nine distinct ecological biomes.
Partnering with:
Bangkok, Thailand
This project aims to setup solid waste drop-off points in different communities, organizations and department stores in the Klongtoei District in Bangkok. A mobile application will also be developed to monitor these drop-off points and study the recycling behaviours of the residents in order to set-up an adequate solid waste management system in the city for the future.
Partnering with:
Singapore, Singapore
With many Asian countries facing the plastic waste challenge, supporting innovation at our Singapore hub is critical to bringing together startups to achieve future-forward waste management solutions. We are working with Plug and Play, and linking the best ideas with expertise and resources from the biggest names in the plastic value chain.
Partnering with:
São Paulo, Brazil
Following the success of the End Plastic Waste Innovation Platform in Singapore, Paris and Silicon Valley, we are now bringing together startups in three new hubs to tackle the global plastic waste challenge. Innovation comes from all over the world and these new hubs open up the funnel to even more new ideas which will benefit from the expertise and resources from the biggest names in the plastic value chain.
Partnering with:
Jambi, Indonesia
This project aims to present good examples of effective and sustainable plastic waste management practices, processes and technologies that can be replicated, disseminate city results, learning and outcomes to a wider audience and participate in supporting our goal of installing effective waste management infrastructure in 5 cities through India and South East Asia.
Partnering with:
Lloilo City, Philippines
This project aims to present good examples of effective and sustainable plastic waste management practices, processes and technologies that can be replicated, disseminate city results, learning and outcomes to a wider audience and participate in supporting our goal of installing effective waste management infrastructure in 5 cities through India and South East Asia.
Partnering with:
Iskandar Development Area, Malaysia
This project aims to present good examples of effective and sustainable plastic waste management practices, processes and technologies that can be replicated, disseminate city results, learning and outcomes to a wider audience and participate in supporting our goal of installing effective waste management infrastructure in 5 cities through India and South East Asia.
Partnering with:
Surat, India
This project aims to present good examples of effective and sustainable plastic waste management practices, processes and technologies that can be replicated, disseminate city results, learning and outcomes to a wider audience and participate in supporting our goal of installing effective waste management infrastructure in 5 cities through India and South East Asia.
Partnering with:
Warangal, India
This project aims to present good examples of effective and sustainable plastic waste management practices, processes and technologies that can be replicated, disseminate city results, learning and outcomes to a wider audience and participate in supporting our goal of installing effective waste management infrastructure in 5 cities through India and South East Asia.
Partnering with:
Singapore, Singapore
This project is a joint grant call collaboration alongside the academic community in NTU. This grant call will be focused on 2 key themes to end plastic waste—advanced technologies, including AI and data science and behavioural and social aspects. A joint steering committee will select, steer and monitor the successful proposals, leveraging member companies’ expertise and interest where needed. Success will be measured by follow-up investment, projects, growth, and delivery of these start-ups by member companies, and external investors.
Partnering with:
Singapore, Singapore
This project aims to study the environmental impacts of using recycled plastic in road applications. Along with the National University of Singapore, we will be researching the impact of plastic mixed with bitumen on air pollution, rain-water leaching and potential re-use in future roads. From this research, we hope to move into actual physical piloting with monitoring from the Land Transport Authority of Singapore for adoption. This is one example of how we turn research into reality.
Partnering with:
Chiangmai, Thailand
This project aims to study the environmental impacts of use of recycled plastic in road applications. Along with our partners, Federation of Thai Industry in Thailand and the Chiang Mai University, we will be researching the impact of plastic mixed with bitumen on air pollution, rain-water leaching and potential re-use in future roads. From this research, we hope to move into actual physical piloting in Thailand using the dry process of road construction. This is another example of how we turn theory into practice.
Partnering with:
Bali, Indonesia
160,000 people will get access to a robust and formalised waste management system. With the support from Project STOP, this new facility will provide jobs for the community and prevent 2,200 tons of plastic waste leakage annually.
Partnering with:
Rayong, Bangkok
The project aims to develop a successful waste management model developed in one municipality of the Rayong Province based on the full circularity of plastic waste and composting of organic waste. The ambition of this project would be to replicate the success of this model by 68 times.
Partnering with:
Bali, Indonesia
Together with McKinsey.org, we are supporting the Rethinking Recycling programme in Bali, Indonesia. Based on a Program Academy, we aim to bring the necessary waste management education to municipalities decision makers and sorting facilities managers. Once the education programme is delivered, a first cohort of 6 material recovery facilities will be fully upgraded in order to make them operational and self sustainable.
Partnering with:
Kolkata, India
The project consists of an education program in 60 schools in the Sunderbans and metropolitan Kolkata region. It aims to educate and sensitize students and the broader community around the schools on plastic waste challenges and management through action-oriented learning.
Partnering with:
Hasanuddin, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
This project aims to work with an Indonesian University to install waste traps on 3 rivers of South Sulawesi in Indonesia to adress the plastic waste leakage in the environment. Local communities will be engaged to collect and sort the plastic waste collected by the traps.
Partnering with:
Tan An, Vietnam
While recyclable materials are collected across Vietnam’s 3,000 recycling craft villages, its value is lost without the right technology. We have partnered with Yunus Environment Hub to equip these communities with social business models and knowledge so they can turn waste to worth.
Partnering with:
Agra, India
The city of Agra is iconic and the Clean AGRA project will set up additional waste collection and processing infrastructure as well as run community outreach and engagement programmes, acknowledging that everyone has a part in ending plastic waste in the environment.
Partnering with:
Johannesburg, South Africa
Following the success of the End Plastic Waste Innovation Platform in Singapore, Paris and Silicon Valley, we are now bringing together startups in three new hubs to tackle the global plastic waste challenge. Innovation comes from all over the world and these new hubs open up the funnel to even more new ideas which will benefit from the expertise and resources from the biggest names in the plastic value chain.
Partnering with:
Shanghai, China
Following the success of the End Plastic Waste Innovation Platform in Singapore, Paris and Silicon Valley, we are now bringing together startups in three new hubs to tackle the global plastic waste challenge. Innovation comes from all over the world and these new hubs open up the funnel to even more new ideas which will benefit from the expertise and resources from the biggest names in the plastic value chain.
Partnering with:
Argentina
Our GIRO project aims to make the waste management system of Olavarría, Argentina, more circular by maximising recovery of compostable and recyclable waste. This includes running education programmes on household sorting and recycling, and setting-up the necessary infrastructure—all in an effort to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. We have launched a 6-month pilot with the local municipality, residents, and waste workers, that will help us design a solution catered to the needs and practices of the community. More details to come.
Partnering with:
Mojokerto, Indonesia
We are partnering with Recycling Technology to evaluate the feasibility of using advanced recycling technologies to complement the implementation of a mechanical recycling facility and recover value from most plastic waste in Mojokerto. More details to come.
Partnering with:
Manila, Philippines
Our partners The Plastic Flamingo will triple their plastic waste collection opportunities in Metro Manila while recognising plastic as a valuable resource. Through the Planks of Promise project, plastic waste is given a second life as “eco–planks”, used to build temporary housing solutions for displaced Filipinos during natural disasters.
Partnering with:
Thiruvananthapuram, Mangalore, India
Together with the UN Habitat Waste Wise Cities programme, we will develop full waste management infrastructure proposals in 6 cities in 3 countries—Kenya, Ethiopia, India—helping us better understand what it will take to end plastic waste and drive long-term impact.
Partnering with:
Denmark, Germany, and France
The Digital Watermarks Initiative HolyGrail2.0 – driven by AIM, European Brands Association and powered by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste – is a pilot project assessing the potential of a digital watermark technology to improve the efficiency and accuracy of plastic waste sorting, helping increase recycling quality and taking a huge step towards a circular economy for plastic.
Partnering with:
Addressing an issue of global proportions
Silicon Valley, USA
Haridwar Rishikesh, India
Ivory Coast
Accra, Ghana
Paris, France
Silicon Valley, USA
Nairobi, Mombasa, Kenya; Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
Puducherry, India
Bazaruto, Mozambique
Bangkok, Thailand
Singapore, Singapore
São Paulo, Brazil
Jambi, Indonesia
Lloilo City, Philippines
Iskandar Development Area, Malaysia
Surat, India
Warangal, India
Singapore, Singapore
Singapore, Singapore
Chiangmai, Thailand
Bali, Indonesia
Rayong, Bangkok
Bali, Indonesia
Kolkata, India
Hasanuddin, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Tan An, Vietnam
Agra, India
Johannesburg, South Africa
Shanghai, China
Argentina
Mojokerto, Indonesia
Manila, Philippines
Thiruvananthapuram, Mangalore, India
Denmark, Germany, and France
Today, only about 10% of plastic is recycled. Digital watermarks—imperceptible postage stamp-sized codes printed on plastic packaging—can help bridge this gap by carrying information about the packaging material. As plastic waste enters a recycling centre, high-resolution cameras installed at sorting units can easily detect and decode this information and thereby sort the plastic waste more accurately.
The Jembrana regency—where hilly jungles full of life meet beautiful beaches on Bali’s northwest coast—is often touted as a hidden gem. The Ijo Gading River that runs through the regency is the island’s largest ocean plastic contributor, accounting for 12% of Bali’s plastic waste leakage. On its banks are the Jembrana and Negara subdistricts, home of our first Indonesian programme. Project STOP Jembrana is building a new waste management system that will serve 160,000 residents in Jembrana and Negara—empowering the local community to collect, sort, and sell their own plastic waste.
Closing the Loop works by supporting local entrepreneurs from vulnerable communities in the coastal city of Accra in Ghana. The model is simple and effective. Plastic waste is collected and sold to CASH IT!, regrinded, and sold to be reused in products such as household or building materials. Not only are the waste management issues alleviated in Accra, but the unlocked value of plastic waste is channeled back to these communities in the form of jobs and new income streams.
Aviral—which means continuous in Hindi—refers not only to the never-ending flow of the iconic Ganga river, but is also the name of our pilot project along its banks in Haridwar and Rishikesh. These cities have a combined population of 450,000 people and attract 50,000 tourists a day. These numbers swell to tens of millions during major Hindu festivals, drastically increasing the amount of waste produced.
Aviral - Reducing Plastic Waste in the Ganga is a pilot project in partnership with GIZ to develop approaches for sustainable and scalable plastic waste management solutions and demonstrate best practice examples in Haridwar and Rishikesh, which can then be replicated in cities across India.
Ideas come from anywhere in the world. That’s why we partnered with Plug and Play Tech Center in 2019 to develop the End Plastic Waste Innovation Platform— to foster startups across the plastic value chain and transform plastic waste management around the world.
To date we have seen a myriad of ideas ranging from using artificial intelligence to improve sorting processes, to new advanced recycling technologies, to mobile applications to change hearts and minds everywhere. Each programme is location-based—managed out of our 6 regional hubs—and runs for 12 weeks.
Our first project in the Philippines, Planks of Promise works to turn plastic waste from the Metro Manila area into recyclable plastic planks that will then be made into emergency shelters for Filipinos displaced by the many natural disasters that plague the region.
Together with social enterprise The Plastic Flamingo (The Plaf), we will scale up collection of plastic waste, and process it in a new recycling facility. By 2022, the Planks of Promise initiative aims to more than triple this number to 200 collection points. Working with the University of the Philippines Diliman, The Plaf will transform plastic waste, including hard to recycle plastics like sachets and films, into strong, 100% recycled and recyclable plastic “eco” planks. The planks can be used to make emergency shelter kits or sold to contribute to the operating costs of the recycling facility.
The Incubation Network by The Circulate Initiative & SecondMuse is a catalyst for action and investment in the circular economy that aims to prevent the flow of plastic waste into the world’s oceans. The network will create a collective of innovators, investors, civil society organisations, and government leaders across South and Southeast Asia. Collectively, we will design and deliver programs that drive investment, innovation, and partnerships for inclusive and gender-responsive waste management and circular economy solutions.
With the Zero Plastic Waste Cities projects, a partnership with Yunus Environment Hub, we aim to recycle up to 28,000 tons of plastic during the first 5 years of operations in the two cities: Puducherry on the Southeast coast of India, and Tan An on the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. We do this by improving and supplementing existing municipal waste management systems, preventing the collected plastic waste from leaking into the environment and instead turning it into valuable recycled materials, giving value to neglected plastic waste streams.
Two options are being developed for the local markets:
- pelletising plastic waste, which in turn can be used in consumer goods or building products;
- using compression moulding to convert the waste into plastic boards that will eventually be used for furniture material, such as shelves, countertops or panels.
