End Plastic Waste Innovation Platform Expands to Three New Hubs

SINGAPORE  -- Global non-profit organisation, Alliance to End Plastic Waste (Alliance), and early-stage startup accelerator, Plug and Play, announced today an expansion of their End Plastic Waste Innovation Platform partnership – with three new hubs across Shanghai, São Paulo, and Johannesburg.

The Alliance and Plug and Play first launched the platform in Silicon Valley, Paris, and Singapore hubs in October 2019. Since then, the program has attracted over 2,000 startups across 3 hubs with 32 of them placed on accelerator programs. More than 3 million dollars in capital has been invested and deployed into the startups with over 50 commercial pilots between the startups and Alliance member companies.

Some successful case studies include Circularise, a startup from the Paris hub that has already partnered with Covestro, an Alliance member company, and Domo Chemicals. Circularise's blockchain technology offers an open source protocol and decentralized platform to bring transparency to global supply chains and empower businesses to move towards a circular economy. This technology also enables brands, suppliers and manufacturers to choose sustainable and circular materials and present information about products and their supply chains transparently without risking privacy.

Another success story is Oceanworks. Oceanworks is collaborating with Avient Corporation, another one of the Alliance's member companies, through the launch of several new post-consumer recycled and post-industrial recycled portfolios under the reSound brand name. Oceanworks developed a PCR grade with recycled ocean plastics and these grades are formulated for consumer applications which can be used in personal care products, lawn and garden tools, outdoor goods, office supplies, footwear, and houseware durables.

Dow has also successfully partnered with Continuus Materials, Byfusion, and Empower through the End Plastic Waste Innovation Platform. Dow's primary goal in this partnership was to drive systematic change in plastic pollution and recycling by finding ways to stop the waste and close the loop. Through this effort, they plan to divert over 1 million tons of plastic waste to be collected, reused, and recycled. For more information on Dow's projects with these startups, download the case study: https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/dow-hefty-bag/

One final example is Litterati, a start-up from the Silicon Valley hub. Litterati is an app that empowers individuals to make a significant, measurable impact on the environment. The Alliance and its member companies launched World Cleanup Day 2020 with Litterati. The ALL_TOGETHER GLOBAL CLEANUP campaign was created to clean the world, one piece of litter at a time. And it achieved that ambition with more than 770,000 litter pickups and more than 75 participating countries.

Since then, the relationship with Litterati has expanded. In the future, the Litterati app will be further enhanced with the addition of education elements, machine-learning technology to characterize litter, and gamification to engage users. To read more about this engagement, download the case study: https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/success-story-litterati/

Nicholas Kolesch, VP of Projects for the Alliance said: "We have been inspired by the startups from the first three hubs. To hear from even more locally-relevant ideas and thinking, we will need to expand our partnership to more locations, and I am delighted that we have landed on Shanghai, São Paulo, and Johannesburg.

With the expansion, the startups in these three new hubs will be able to access investors and technical expertise through the End Plastic Waste Innovation Platform. Our member companies from the full plastic value chain are ready to support a new phase for the partnership between the Alliance and Plug and Play."

"We have had an amazing success rate with the first three hubs. Plug and Play is confident that we will be able to bring together a group of inspiring startups with plastic waste solutions for the future of the planet," said Matthew Claxton, Global Director of Plug and Play's Sustainability Program.

The End Plastic Waste Innovation Platform was first launched in three cities—Silicon Valley, Paris and Singapore. For further information, please visit: https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/end-plastic-waste/

About the End Plastic Waste Innovation Platform
The End Plastic Waste Innovation Platform is a collaboration and shared vision by the Alliance, an international non-profit organisation, and Plug and Play, a global innovation platform. This platform taps into the best technology start-ups and links them with the resources, experience, and expertise from the world's largest corporations so that their innovations can be brought to scale.

About the Alliance to End Plastic Waste
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste is an international non-profit partnering with government, environmental and economic development NGOs and communities around the world to address the challenge to end plastic waste in the environment. Through programmes and partnerships, the Alliance focuses on solutions in four strategic areas: infrastructure, innovation, education and engagement, and clean up. As of October 2020, the Alliance has over 50 member companies, strategic allies and supporters representing organisations and global companies across the plastic value chain.

For more information, visit: www.endplasticwaste.org

About Plug and Play
Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in over 30 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 30,000 startups and 400 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. Companies in our community have raised over $9 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Rappi, Dropbox, Lending Club and PayPal.

For more information, visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/