Australia's national science agency, CSIRO, is gathering environmental entrepreneurs across the Indo-Pacific region in a Demo Day to showcase their innovative solutions to tackle plastic waste.
The rate of plastic production has grown faster than any other material since the 1970s, and today the world produces about 400 million tonnes of plastic waste every year.
Plastic waste flows into our riverways and into our oceans, with an estimated 11 million tonnes of plastic on the ocean seafloor.
To tackle this global problem, more than 20 international teams are taking part in CSIRO's Indo-Pacific Plastics Innovation Network (IPPIN) Accelerator+ Program.
They will converge across Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bangkok to prove how their solutions are transforming the way we produce, use and recycle plastic materials.
Ms Kirsten Rose, CSIRO's Deputy Chief Executive, emphasised the critical role of international partnerships in addressing global challenges like plastic waste and enhancing Australia's innovation ecosystem.
"Plastic pollution is a global crisis that knows no borders and we cannot tackle it alone," Ms Rose said.
"Collaborating with our neighbours is crucial for advancing technology and business innovation, enabling us to weather economic uncertainty.
"By working together across borders, we can create a more resilient, healthier and prosperous region.
"Initiatives like IPPIN foster joint innovation, leading to sustainable and organic solutions to boost industry profitability."
The innovations displayed at Demo Days will include advanced waste management systems, creative methods for repurposing single-use plastics, and initiatives to empower marginalised communities most impacted by plastic pollution.
Andrea Sosa Pintos, IPPIN Senior Program Manager said through CSIRO's IPPIN program, innovative solutions to plastic pollution can accelerate rapidly and at scale.
"By 2040, global plastic use is estimated to double. Australia's commitment to the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, as part of the negotiations for a UN treaty to end plastic pollution, firmly highlights our role as a regional leader in combatting plastic pollution," Ms Sosa Pinto said.
"To date IPPIN has engaged with over 3000 people in program activities and supported 130 global entrepreneurial teams to scale-up sustainable and innovative technologies to find lasting solutions to address plastic waste.
"We have seen humble ideas grow into fully fledged, profitable innovations that revolutionise upstream and downstream plastic solutions. Continuing to support future innovators will be critical in tackling plastic waste regionally, together."
One example is Greenhope, an alumni start-up supported by IPPIN, who have developed technology that utilises cassava starch to produce commercialised biodegradable bioplastic packaging.
Since their venture began, Greenhope has successfully replaced 12 billion pieces of conventional plastic into biodegradable plastic and improved the welfare of 179 Indonesia cassava farmers.
IPPIN highlights CSIRO's ongoing commitment to ending plastic waste and changing how we reduce, reuse and recycle plastic.
