Winners of the 2020 ASEAN-wide Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge announced
(CPV) - UNDP, MONRE, the Viet Nam Administration of Sea and Islands (VASI), the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs have announced the four winners of the ASEAN-wide Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge (EPPIC) to combat plastic waste in the coastal cities of Ha Long Bay (Viet Nam) and Koh Samui (Thailand) in 2020.
Photo: UNDP
EPPIC was launched in June 2020 in Ha Long Bay on World Ocean Day. 159 teams coming from six ASEAN countries (Viet Nam, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia) applied to the challenge with a broad range of solutions to tackle plastic pollution including both upstream and downstream innovations. In September, 14 teams were selected as the EPPIC finalists and undertook a a 3-month incubation programme combining technical training about the circular economy, waste management, and business development skills with field trips to Ha Long Bay and Koh Samui. These 14 teams will contribute to accelerating the transition to a circular economy of plastic in the ASEAN region with solutions systematically addressing plastic pollution, such as alternative materials, recycling technologies, models that foster re-use, community-based clean-ups, education campaigns, mobile apps, and the like.