Think Beyond Plastic Foundation

Think Beyond Plastic Foundation conducts innovation challenges to identify alternatives to single-use disposable plastic. The winners participate in an acceleration program conducted by Think Beyond Plastic and present their innovation at an annual Investor Forum organized by Think Beyond Plastic. In the 2019, the innovation challenge produced in collaboration with the Klosters forum attracted 400+ applications and continued to catalyze innovation for safer chemicals, bio-benign materials and product delivery systems in FMCG and agriculture. We began work on an innovation challenge for new materials with Unilever, and ag plastics unnivation challenge with Driscolls. Both of these challenges are planned for 2020.

An essential part of the activities includes training students in developing a systems view of the plastic pollution problem and incorporating this view in graduate programs at universities. In collaboration with Middlebury institute at Monterey, we have produced classes and educational programs to facilitate this learning. We also produced a story of all the innovators to share with the students and inspire their work. Two grants were issued to support this work.