Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, is facing a growing plastic waste problem. With the Pasig River as a major source of plastic pollution, and a rising population consuming more single-use plastic products, the city is contributing to the over 11 million tons of plastic waste that flows into the ocean each year. To protect the environment and public health, a sustainable and comprehensive approach to plastic waste management is urgently needed in Manila.
In response to this challenge, the Plastic Smart Cities – TV-Aksjonen Project has launched a call for social entrepreneurs with scalable solutions across the plastic value chain to pilot in Manila. The project, supported by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, and WWF-Norway, aims to achieve a 30% reduction in plastic waste leakage into the environment by 2024.
In the call, social entrepreneurs will undergo a process of selection divided into three stages. For the first stage, WWF aims to generate a database of entrepreneurial solutions that are looking to scale in Manila City. Solutions should aim to address plastic pollution and engage local stakeholders including businesses, communities, and the waste sector, among others. The registration of solutions will close on April 10, 2023.
During the second phase, the solutions that are registered will be categorized into the following:
- Closing the tap: reduction in plastic waste generation.
- Closing the loop: segregation, redesign, reuse, recycle, and measures to lengthen the use of plastic items in the operations.
- Stopping plastic leakage: collection, disposal of plastic waste, and measures to prevent plastic waste from ending up in nature.
The last stage of the call is where the shortlisted entrepreneurs pitch their solutions to a panel of judges for final selection.
The four-year project will fund the scaling of the solutions that will be selected for a maximum of one year starting on May 2023.