Food wrappers and beverage containers are ubiquitous, lightweight, and disposable, and many are nonrecyclable. Beverage container lids and caps become detached, and due to their size, are likely to become litter or escape from waste management systems, eventually ending up in marine environments. The Design Track of the Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge, a key component of National Geographic and Sky Ocean Ventures’ partnership to reduce plastic waste, aims to identify pragmatic, investible solutions to improve food and beverage packaging and containers.
Design Track Categories
The Design Track targets the top consumer plastic waste that pollutes our beaches and coastlines, and incentivizes teams to develop design solutions for food packaging and beverage containers. This track also includes a “wild card” category that allows teams to submit solutions for other single-use plastics that do not fall within the food packaging or beverage container categories.
A panel of expert judges will identify up to 10 finalists in the Design Track, who will each win $5,000. Finalists will then compete for the grand prize of $100,000 and up to two second-place prizes of $45,000 each.
Food Packaging
The Food Packaging category asks teams to develop new food packaging solutions, including food wrappers and containers. Teams must develop solutions made from a single, easily recycled material without additives, colorants, or adhesives that hinder recycling and without exacerbating pollution through the creation of microplastics. Solutions must also have the same or greater functionality as the products they are designed to replace, and must be designed with current production methods in mind. Bonus points may be awarded for solutions that include technology or design elements to facilitate sorting and recycling, or that include post-consumer recycled material.
Beverage Containers
The Beverage Container category asks teams to develop improved beverage containers. Teams must develop solutions with lids or caps that stay attached to the container, and are made from a single, easily recycled material without additives, colorants, or adhesives that hinder recycling and without exacerbating pollution through the creation of microplastics. Solutions must also have the same or greater functionality as the products they are designed to replace, and must be designed with current production methods in mind. Bonus points may be awarded for solutions that include technology or design elements to facilitate sorting and recycling, or that include post-consumer recycled material.
Wild Card
The Wild Card category is an open design challenge, in which teams may develop an alternative to any common single-use plastic product that contributes to marine plastic waste that is not targeted in the Food Packaging or Beverage Container categories. Teams must develop solutions that are made from a single, easily recycled material without additives, colorants, or adhesives that hinder recycling and without exacerbating pollution through the creation of microplastics. Solutions must also have the same or greater functionality as the product they are designed to replace, and must be designed with current production methods in mind. Bonus points may be awarded for solutions that include technology or design elements to facilitate sorting and recycling, or that include post-consumer recycled material.
Key Dates
February 11, 2019
Registration opens
June 11, 2019
Initial Submission Deadline
by June 11, 2019 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
Week of July 8, 2019
Finalists Selected
Week of November 11, 2019
Finalists’ Submissions Due
Week of December 9, 2019
Finalists Pitch Their Solutions to a Panel of Expert Judges
Week of December 9, 2019
Winners Announced
Selecting the Finalists
Submissions closed at 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on June 11, 2019.
Meet the Judges who will review the submissions.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MOHAMED ABDULRAHEEM SHUTTERSTOCK (Top Image) ; Sirtravelalot/Shutterstock (Food Packaging) ; Randy Olson (Beverage Container) ; Hannah Reyes Morales (Wild Card)