The Ellen MacArthur Foundation and The Prince of Wales’s International Sustainability Unit have recently launched a new $2 million prize, called the "New Plastics Economy Innovation Prize", it calls on innovators, designers, scientists, and entrepreneurs to help create packaging that keeps plastics out of our oceans.
Worldwide demand for plastic exceeds 311 million tonnes per year as of 2014, and this is expected to double over the next 20 years.
Currently only 14% of plastic produced is being recycled, and the rest becomes waste, either in landfill, or into the ocean.
There are predictions that by 2050, there will be more plastic mass in the oceans than sea life.
This award is a step in the right direction, and we at The Verdant Company applaud the efforts of both The Ellen MacArthur Foundation and The Prince of Wales’s International Sustainability Unit.