Acumen, in partnership with Unilever, is hosting a Social Innovation Challenge on Plastics from March to May 2019. The Challenge seeks to generate new ideas to stop the flow of plastic waste into the environment, with a focus on solutions that improve the lives of people living in poverty.
PART ONE: RAPID INNOVATION LAB
Few cities in developing and emerging markets have dependable solid waste management services. Many households dispose of their trash on street corners and in dump sites. Informal waste pickers sort through this trash in hazardous conditions to find materials that can be sold for recycling.
To combat this problem, the social enterprise CARPE has been working to introduce a sustainable waste management system to Aurangabad, India. Through a collaborative effort with city leaders and waste pickers, most households in Aurangabad have started segregating their plastic waste for collection. The social enterprise is now focused on their next challenge: How might we engage the 21,000 schools in the district that continue to burn their waste?
On March 2, join hundreds of participants around the world to help CARPE generate new ideas for segregating waste in schools — an essential step for ensuring that plastic stays out of the environment — and improving the welfare of waste pickers.
In the two-hour Rapid Innovation Lab, you will receive a crash course in behavior change principles and waste management practices in Aurangabad, India. Then you will collaborate with other participants to propose solutions for CARPE.
Many countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America are grappling with similar challenges of collecting plastic waste and empowering the informal sector. We encourage you to bring these experiences and solutions from your own region to the Rapid Innovation Lab.
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
Anyone who wants to learn more about environmental conservation and the circular economy, while proposing solutions for a real social enterprise. See complete terms and conditions for eligibility requirements.
WHEN WILL IT HAPPEN?
March 2 at 4:00–6:00 p.m. GMT
WHAT YOU WILL DO:
Watch a live interview with a social entrepreneur who is tackling waste management in Aurangabad, India, and submit your questions
Learn about principles of behavior change and how they can be applied to environmental challenges
Collaborate with other change-makers from around the world and prototype solutions for the social enterprise during a two-hour event hosted on Slack.
Apply to Rapid Innovation Lab here. Deadline: February 15, 2019
